Sacrifices
by BelleSkellington403
Summary: Years after Jack's attempt to take over Christmas, his son Bram begins to ponder his own role as Pumpkin Prince. After a falling-out with his father, he runs into the forest for solitude, only to find a strange new world...and a feisty young girl dressed in red.
1. Missing Again

**Hey, guys! This is my first story on this site, but I'd really like for you to see what I enjoy doing. Also: I do not own the Nightmare Before Christmas, the Little Mermaid, Romeo and Juliet, or any other stories referenced in this fic. Thx!**

Chapter 1: Missing Again

The busy street was buzzing with preparations. The Harlequin demon was nailing a scarecrow to a post, accidentally hitting Mr. Hyde. The witches laughed at the sight as they positioned the bats about the town square. The Vampire brothers painted the walls to look as if blood were seeping through the stone.

"Marvelous work, everyone!" praised the Pumpkin King. "This Halloween is sure to be one of our most memorable!"

The people cheered and resumed their work. The corpse child laughed as the mummy kid was chasing him with a frightening mask. Jack smiled at the sight, but suddenly reminding him.

"Bram!"

How could he forget? His son should've been out in the square by now. He started back towards his house, hoping his wife and son were inside. He marched up the stairs and entered into the living room.

"Sally? Bram? I'm home!"

Footsteps echoed the old house until a beautiful rag doll with flowing red yarn hair stumbled down the stairs. He caught her as she tripped over the last step.

"Are you alright, Sally?" he asked, concerned.

Sally tugged at a few of her seams. "I'm fine, Jack. But Bram is missing!"

Jack moaned, knowing this would happen. "Again?! Have you checked everywhe—?"

"Yes, I've checked the cemetery, the Hinterlands, Spiral Hill, everywhere in the house, and everywhere in town! You don't think he might've gone to the forest, do you?!"

Jack's skull filled with dread. He couldn't fathom the thought of his son, wandering aimlessly through the forest. He could be in danger!

"Sally, rally up a search party through town and another through the Hinterlands. I'll take the catacombs. Come on, Zero!"

Jack ran out of the house with the ghost pup, Sally behind him. She ran into town to call the other citizens. Jack lifted the grate in the street, the Mayor's alarm screeching as he made his way underground.

"Almost done…" Bram adjusted the pressure to his organ, flipped through the old music book, and cracked his knuckles. He cleared his throat. "Presenting, his magnificence, the one and only, the magical, marvelous Maestro Bram Skellington!"

The three street musicians applauded Bram's introduction, the young rag doll standing to take a bow. His hand suddenly dropped to the floor, crawling to try and find its way back to its body. He scooped up his hand, held it behind his back, and nervously chuckled.

"Are you guys ready?"

The zombie band nodded as Bram took his seat and spread the music. He then shoved the music sheets aside and began playing the organ by heart, the only way he knew how. It was creepy, as it should be for him, but sad and longing and filled with mystery. Longing for something more…

He gasped and looked down at the organ keys. His hands had come loose again and were dancing about the keys. He let them crawl their way back to his wrists and finally finished the piece to sew them back on.

"It's amazing, Bram!" marveled James, the saxophone player.

Bram chuckled, reattaching his hands and tightening his stitches for good measure. He, like his mother, always had the habit of losing limbs too frequently.

"I guess it is pretty great." He turned back to the keys. "I can make all kinds of wacky fun with this thing!"

"Yes!" Jim cried happily. "Such new music to fill the citizens with fright!"

Jimmy nodded, grabbing his accordion. "You truly are a genius, Prince Skellington."

Bram chuckled nervously. "Yeah, creepy music. My, uh…favorite. Um, guys...No, never mind."

How could he tell them? It'd be like saying a witch would give up magic, or a werewolf would give up howling at the ever-loving moon. It would never make sense. It would have to suffice, though. Music was the one thing in which he could truly show his emotions.

The musicians didn't seem to care anyway, since they'd already started back to the town's surface. Bram was left in the dark to think. It felt like he could spend eternity down there, but his parents would call him out eventually. They always find him.

 _And speak of the devil_ , A light made its way down the tunnel behind him. Bram made a dash for the shadows, hiding his music sheets and ducking behind a stone stairwell. The light grew brighter. Before Bram could make a run for it, his vision was clouded by the yapping ghost dog.

"Zero?" he laughed. "How did you get down here?"

A cleared throat rang through the chambers. He looked up at the Skeleton King as he stared down at his son.

Bram sheepishly smiled his dad's signature skeleton grin. "He-ey! Dad! What's, uh...crawling?"

Jack said nothing, but widened one eye socket.

Bram's face went blank. "I'm in trouble again, aren't I?"

Jack nodded. "Yep."


	2. Tight Stitching

Chapter 2:

Bram waited in his room, absentmindedly rolling a piece of chalk across his desk. It wasn't fair! Why couldn't he just play his music? What did his father have against playing the music he created? He fell back into his chair, pulling at the stitches on his arms. He skimmed the walls, lined with posters of Bach and Beethoven (which reminded him, he still hadn't gotten that call back from Mozart) and shelves of rejected, or otherwise forgotten, sheet music that Bram had neglected to notice or organize. Scattered pieces of paper, bone quills, and a jar of squid ink sat on his desk, surrounded by balls of crumpled paper on the floor.

He tugged at his stitches. Zero yapped at him, putting his head under the boy's hand.

"What's wrong with me, Zero?"

Zero whimpered, floated onto the chair, and nuzzled into Bram's chest.

"I mean, I'm 1,699 years old. I should know what I should be doing in my afterlife, not mess around like I'm 110. But, why can't I just get that feeling out of my head?" Zero cocked his head to one side. Bram shook his head. "I'm talking to a dog. At least I can tell you things without you cackling them to Dad."

His door knocked. "Bram, honey?"

"I'm not in the mood, Mom."

Sally peeked into her son's room, a look of concern sewn on her face. "Bram, we're not angry with you. You just had everyone worried."

He sighed. "Mom, I know. But, I can't help myself. Whenever I get these ambitions, my hands run away with my head."

His mother sat down beside him on the bed, ruffling his shaggy, black and red patched hair. "I know. I was just like you around your age, restlessness and impatience. It doesn't go away. You can go out whenever you want, but you have to tell us first."

Bram nodded, annoyed.

"You caused quite a panic in town, today."

It hit him! "Crap! I was supposed to help Dad with the Halloween party, wasn't I?" He groaned before his mother could reply. "What is wrong with me?!"

"Nothing is wrong with you, Stitches," Sally assured. "You're just so much like your father."

Bram stood up, leaning against his windowsill. The town below him was bustling, clamoring as Jack stood in the town square to assess the situation. He then looked up beyond the gate, the cemetery, Spiral Hill, gazing at the forest on the horizon. It was so close, but...he turned back to the town.

"I should probably go down there and apologize, shouldn't I?"

Sally hugged her son and nodded. He sighed and headed towards the door.

"Remember, pumpkin. Make your decision the right decision."


	3. I Don't Want to Be This

Chapter 3:

"Everyone! Everyone!" Jack's cries did no use to calm the citizens in the town meeting. They screeched and shrieked in terror. "Will everyone _please_ calm down?!"

The crowd slowly silenced. He waited for any further interruptions before continuing.

"Thank you. As you all know, my son has been found safe. Preparations for this Halloween with proceed as planned."

"Jack, Jack!" the mayor exclaimed. "We're far behind schedule! We've wasted an entire hour on another search party that we only have 128 days until Halloween!"

Jack nodded. "Yes, yes. That's to be expected, but-"

The room suddenly erupted back into clamoring. "What if we can't make it on schedule?!"

"What will become of our holiday?!"

"How can we be sure that Bram will be a suitable Pumpkin King?!"

"Yeah!" half the crowd agreed.

"Now, now!" the Mayor spoke up. "Let's not jump to any conclusions. I'm sure Jack is very busy with him, right Jack?"

"Uh..." Everyone was staring at Jack, expecting a reassuring answer. The doors to the town hall suddenly creaked open. Everyone turned to see the young rag Prince enter the hall pensively, march down the aisle, and climb onto the stage. He took his place at the podium.

"To address the dire situation, I apologize for my disappearance and causing panic. Halloween will proceed as planned with me and my father." Without another word, Bram left the podium and retreated behind the curtains. The town sat stunned for a moment before going into murmurs. Jack inched behind the curtains after his son, finding him curled up into a ball on a crate.

"Thank you, for that apology, Bram." Bram did not respond, only pulled his legs closer to his chin. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Bram lied.

"Don't give me that. Just tell me," Jack said.

His son shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Bram sighed, releasing his legs. "It's just, I keep getting this feeling that there's... _more_ to me than just scaring people. I want to write music, I want to _play_ music! That rusty old organ in the catacombs, it means everything to me."

"Is that it?" Jack asked. "I don't see any problem with that."

"Really?"

Jack grinned. "You feel free to play that organ if it makes you happy. I'm sure you can write spectacular pieces that will sweep everyone off their feet."

Bram narrowed his eyes. "For Halloween?"

"Of course, for Halloween," Jack replied. His confusion only increased when his son stood up and marched to the opposite wall.

"That's all you care about, isn't it? Halloween?" Bram snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Jack inquired.

"I don't just want to play for Halloween, Dad," Bram explained, holding open a map. "I want to play for others. I want to see the world!"

"Well, the Pumpkin King gets to see the world too."

Bram rolled his eyes. "Really, Dad? The whole world? What about Australia?" He pointed the small island continent in the bottom right corner. Jack rubbed the back of his skull, cringing. He remembered trying to win over Aussie, but was a bit distracted by the tearing in his clothes and torches on his tailcoat to really enjoy _that_ Halloween.

"Well...we haven't exactly hooked Australia yet." Bram dropped the map and sat back down on the crate. "But we're making progress. With your intuition, we could bring them along. What do you say?"

Bram hesitated. "I'm not sure."

Jack set his hand on his shoulder. "There's no need for a rush. We still have 127 and a half more days until next Halloween. We can keep talking about it."

When Bram didn't answer, Jack took the opportunity to turn back to the curtain to settle the crowd once again.

"Well, what if I DON'T want to be the Pumpkin King?!"

Jack stopped dead in his tracks, tryin to process what he'd just heard. Surely, it was his imagination. But, he'd heard it plain as night. He turned back to his son in utter shock. Bram was shaking, but stood proudly.

"W-What?!"

"I told you you wouldn't understand!"

Jack shook his skull. "Bram, what you're talking of is very dangerous. You have to step up as Pumpkin King when the time comes."

"But, Dad, I'm tired of scaring and screaming and playing creepy music. There's something else for me out there and I can't deny it anymore."

"Bram, trust me. Messing with Holiday fate is extremely dangerous! It could-!"

"It could what?! You know, I'm sick of you caring more about Halloween than you care about me!"

Jack stood speechless, in anger and shock. Bram took a dash for the door and disappeared before Jack could say another word.

"Bram, wait!"

* * *

Bram didn't care where he was running, as long as it was far away from Halloween Town as possible. He raced from the town hall, running into people as he went but running from them just as quickly. He passed his house, barking son pursuing him.

"Go home, Zero!" he cried, not looking back.

He slid through the gate of the town and into the cemetery. Zero continued to bark at him. He covered his ears as he rushed into the dark forest. The trees pulled at his black and purple T-shirt and ragged jeans, but Bram didn't notice. He wanted nothing more to do with Halloween. No more of it. The bright pumpkin sun was growing dimmer and dimmer, and Bram's legs grew wearier. Night drew closer, and he could bear the pain no longer. He took one final step, fell to his knees, and collapsed in a clearing of tall trees.


	4. What's this?

Chapter 4:

Jack paced in the tower, fear increasing with every step he took. How could this have happened so quickly, or at all? His Pumpkin Prince was no longer the Pumpkin Prince?!

 _Curses!_ he thought. _This can't happen again. Sandy and I are now on decent terms. If Bram found his way to the Holiday Doors-_

His thoughts were shattered by a knock. Sally stood at the top of the spiral stairs, alone. She shook her head.

"No sign of him in town or the catacombs. Cemetery and half of the Hinterlands are cleared too."

Jack groaned. Sally took to her sewing table and wrapped a relatively new-looking, black cloak around her shoulders. She pulled her yarn hair into a bun, pinning it with a sewing needle.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going out past the forest," Sally said simply. "I saw Zero fly in there, so Bram's got to be in there with him. Hopefully, they're not lost and they haven't discovered the Holiday doors."

"I'll go with you," Jack insisted.

"No, Jack. You have to stay and take care of Halloween."

"T-Then, if I can't talk you out of going all together, at least take a search party."

"No more search parties," Sally persisted. "We've too much panic for one year. This needs to stay low-key; under the radar."

She headed for the stairs, Jack catching her arm. "Just, let me know if you need help." She chuckled and kissed him on the cheek before finally departing. "Call me when you find him!"

* * *

Bram moaned, feeling something wet on his cheek. He half-opened his eyes to find Zero licking his face. He rose to his knees, popping his back and pulling a twig from a tear in his shoulder. Stitching his shoulder back up, he finally took a good look around. Seven trees stood around him in a perfect circle, each with a different door symbol. He knocked his hand against the one with a strange-feathered bird and jumped back when he received a gobble in return. The second door with a red heart smelled like flowers and chocolate candy. A green-flower door sounded much like folk music and cheering. A colorful egg peeped like small birds. A striped door with stars smelled of ash and sounded thunder. The pumpkin door he knew well, the door to his town. The last door particularly caught his eye.

It was shiny. A strange green tree with bright balls and a star on top stood next to the Pumpkin door. He reached for the golden knob, entranced with the door's glory. Zero suddenly tugged at his wrist's thread, loosening his hand.

"Zero!" He scooped up his hand and sewed it back on. Zero barked frantically at him, growling. "What has gotten into you? It's probably nothing, anyway."

He reached for the knob a second time, feeling the smooth metal underneath his palm. He turned it slowly, the door silently swinging open. The smell of ginger and peppermint filled his nose. He leaned inside, though he could see nothing. The wind suddenly picked up, pulling him inside and closing the door beside him. Bram was falling, plummeting into darkness. He screamed for help, but knew no one could hear him. A light shone at the end of his descent. He braced himself for the impact, closing his eyes.

He was instantly met with something cold, sinking into in immediately. A few of his threads pulled loose, his hand flying off farther than the rest. He pushed himself up, feeling around for his head. He reset his head onto his neck and sewed it back on. As he threaded the rest of his limbs back onto his body, he gazed down at the city below him.

It was as shiny as the door he entered, glittering red, green, and gold lights. A large tree stood in the town's center, just like the door. Bram's skeleton grin was growing every second he was staring at it. He reached for it as if to scoop it up and take it home with him, but realized his right hand was missing. He looked down to find it at the edge of the hill.

"Get back here!" The hand jumped and crawled towards the strange, beautiful town. Bram scrambled after it. His hands were faster than he realized, the hand quickly gaining speed. Happy music suddenly filled his ears, distracting him for one split second as he dove for his hand and tumbled into the white fluff below him. Groaning, he steadily dug his way out of the mound. High-pitched voices approached, and he ducked back into the bank. He hoped the slush would cover his hair and leave only his pale white skin.

"Did you hear about Jasper?" the first asked.

"Yeah, poor guy needs to lay off the mint," replied the second.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have dared him to eat all those peppermint patties before work," accused the third.

"Silver Bells, Mal! When are you going to have a little fun?" the second interjected, all bursting out in tinkling laughter.

The voices faded away, leaving Bram to look for his hand. He shook the white off of him and climbed up to the roof of one of the houses. It smelled so delicious, he couldn't help but take a small nibble.

 _Amazing!_ It was as if this world were giving him this new feeling he'd been waiting for. A ball of white slammed into his face. Bram wiped the fluff from his face, his hand bouncing mockingly at him. He growled at it, leaping for the mischievous hand. It sprang off the house to a tall tree filled with lights and ornaments. Bram hopped from the roof to the next, the hand crawling away from his every advance. It trailed down a string of sharp plants and berries, sliding into a pantry of cakes and pies. He crawled along the garland, reaching for his hand. He finally snatched it at the wrist, but was met with a mouthful of sugary mush. The fruity sweetness of it was too much in his mouth, he spit it out. Wiping his mouth, the hand flew from his face. He swung after it.

Both sailed through the cold air, against the white moon. Bram reached for the hand frantically, closer and closer until he finally grabbed hold of it. He laughed triumphantly, only to remember the ground was quickly approaching him. He barely had time to scream before he sunk into the fluff once again, his hand flying out of his reach.

He groaned in pain and exhaustion, but saw that his hand was limp. He anticipated its return, but partially sank back into the slush at the approach of a figure. It was a child, very young. It giggled as it ran through the snow. The crunching of the fluff drew closer until the child stood mere feet away from him. He scooped down to pick up the hand, pulling at its fingers. Bram was about to burst out of his hiding place and demand the child give him his hand, but another set of feet were approaching. From behind the child came the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard.

"Frost! Get back here, you little pixie!"

Bram opened one eye slightly, looking up at the angel in front of him. Her skin was like creamy milk, her hair as golden as autumn leaves. Every part of her body was draped snugly in red with white fur. She spoke to the child with such kindness Bram could only compare to his mother. The boy, Frost, showed her the hand. She gently took it in her own gloved hands.

"Hmm...Odd. It doesn't look like any of the hands of our dolls. I'll keep it in my room for tonight, then go to Father in the morning. Don't tell him, Frost!"

Frost nodded happily, taking the girl's hand and following her to the castle in the shimmering light. Bram slowly emerged from his hiding space, clutching his chest. What was this feeling inside him? He felt like breathing heavily, though he never needed to breathe. He felt beads of sweat on his forehead, though it was freezing cold outside. He felt like throwing up, passing out. For some reason, these feelings all centered on this one girl.

He huddled against the wall of the cookie house beside him. He couldn't go home after how he'd behaved, and he certainly can't stay in this wonderland. The only thing he knew for sure was to get his hand back and run.

 **HEEEEEEEY all you beautiful people! I really enjoyed writing this last chapter. I'll sort of be switching from Bram's POV to Jack and Sally's, and very soon our mystery girl. Reviews are very much encouraged, as well as constructive criticism. Please hold the language and don't be exceedingly blunt because it hurts my feelings. Thx!**


	5. Holly

Chapter 5:

The Pumpkin Sun was high overhead, but it felt as if Sally had been searching for years. The forest paths all looked the same, it was a wonder she didn't get lost herself. She twisted down each path, calling her son's name. How much longer would it be before she found him? A day? A month? A year? A _century_?! She was almost ready to turn back and resume the next day, but she couldn't bear the reaction from Jack. He was under tremendous stress as it was, and the news that she still hadn't found their son would only push him further into panic.

She pressed on. "Bram!" She proceeded to the path that led to the Holiday doors. The sun was starting to sink a bit. It would take her hours to get to the doors, but she couldn't go back without Bram. The gnarled tree branches grabbed at her cloak, yanking her into the dirt. She tugged at the branch to free her cloak. The branch obliged, though taking a souvenir with it. Sally fell with a faint thud, her torn cloak falling over her head.

After a few frustrated groans, she finally flipped her cloak back over her shoulders and went back to the tree to collect her cloak scrap.

* * *

Bram shivered at another gust of freezing wind. He didn't know how much longer he could manage here what with the wind and frozen water falling onto his face and skin, making him feel quite soggy. He'd find a place to dry off later, but now he had to retrieve his hand. He'd watched the beautiful girl lead the little boy inside the enormous castle. It would take quite a while to find it, but if he could sneak out of Halloween town two-hundred and seventy-two consecutive times and slither through a jolly land undetected, then surely he could scale the castle.

"Alright, let's see if climbing with Dad has paid off."

He took a length back, ready to jump onto the lowest roof he could see. He took a few deep breaths, readied himself, and sprinted towards the building.

 _What am I doing?_ he asked himself. _I'll never make that jump!_

He abruptly halted, though he still ran on. The slick surface beneath his feet carried him on and straight into the brick wall. His body went stiff, then fell to the ground like a fallen tree.

"Ouch..."

He waited until his vision focused to sit up, his head still spinning. There had to be a better alternative than to simply leap from roof to roof like Jack. He blinked a few times, noticing three pipes on the wall. The three met to become one drain pipe. Bram triumphantly grinned and grabbed hold of the pipe, inching his way up. The pipe was slick beneath his fingers, and frigidly cold. But he edged little by little up the metal rod until he came in contact with a convenient ledge. He heaved a sigh of relief, turning his gaze away from the ground below him.

All the windows to his left were lit, so he cautiously made his way to the right. The first window had the drapes drawn, so he passed it. The second was dimly lit save for a small green candle on a red and white striped desk. It looked empty enough. Carefully, Bram slid the window open and slithered inside. He crept over to the desk, taking the candle in his one hand. He held it in front of him, examining the room for any sign of his hand.

The walls were lined with posters and drawings of various characters, Bram even recognizing a few. Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Burl Ives, even Elvis Presley. Classics from the human world.

 _Whoever rules this world,_ Bram thought. _has excellent taste._

He skimmed the blue and white crystal-patterned quilt, then over the leaf-carved head frame at the shelves. Books of paper and color with scissors and glue littered the various, though tidy shelves. Strange how it mirrored his own room. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw something bounce on one of the shelves. He whirled around, and found his hand hopping on the shelf to gain his attention.

He gasped in delight, but froze at the sound of the door opening.

"Who's there?!"

Bram hurriedly snuffed out the candle and dove under the bed as the lights turned on. Light footsteps approached the smoking candle left abandoned on the floor. He was shaking, fearing for his life if he had one. He heard the figure, a woman, snatch something from one of the shelves.

"I know you're still in here. Come out!"

He stayed silent, praying that the woman would not catch him. She slowly went to every corner of the room, searching under the desk and in the closet. Her feet finally faced the bed. Bram gasped silently as she approached. She bent down, her fingers curling around the covers, and flung them from the bed. The sudden move shocked him so much that he shot himself out from under the bed. He scrambled to his feet.

The woman was the same girl he'd seen outside, grasping a large, red and white striped cane. Both stood staring at each other in fright and in silence for a moment before she let out a scream. He rushed to the other side of the bed and placed his hand over her mouth, subduing the screaming. Worried that someone may have heard the screams, he dragged her into the closet and closed the door. He carefully turned her around and experimentally let go of her mouth. She let out a small cry. He tried a second time, but with the same result, so he allowed his hand to stay on her lips.

"Listen. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I know I look scary, and I know it probably wasn't the wisest choice to crawl in uninvited. But, I won't hurt you. I just have to trust you not to scream, okay?"

He felt her nod, and he slowly retracted his hand from her mouth. A light suddenly blinded Bram, but adjusted when focused on the girl.

"What are you?" she asked.

"I'm Bram," he answered simply.

The girl tucked a piece of golden hair behind her ear, staring at him with a fixed gaze. "Are you...a rag doll?"

He nodded. "Can you tell me where I am?"

"Well, at the moment, we are in my closet."

"No, I mean, where is here? What is this castle? What is this town? What's this?" He held up a headband with what looked like two twigs sprucing out of it.

"This...is mine." She snatched the headband from him. "And this is Christmas Town."

"Christmas Town? Oh! It's that old bedtime story my dad used to tell me. The one with the snow, and the elves, and the King called Sandy Claws."

"Santa Claus," she corrected.

"You know him?"

"He's my father."

"Your _father?!"_

She nodded. "Keep your voice down! And you're from Halloween Town," she said, avoiding the subject. "I can tell by the pale skin and stitches. But that raises the question: what are you doing in my room?"

"Um...I believe you have something of mine." He held up his torn wrist, a few leaves falling from the gap. She blinked.

"Oh. So that...okay." She opened the door ajar, squeezing out for a quick moment. She gestured for him to come out, his hand in hers. Slowly, Bram emerged from the closet and sat down on the bed. She examined the threads hanging from the wrist.

"Sorry for scaring you," Bram said apologetically. "I just needed my hand back. I have a habit of losing them too often."

She chuckled, his hand intertwining its fingers with hers. "Well, no wonder. These threads are old and frayed. Here!" She tossed him his hand, running over to a cabinet over the desk. "I have some new thread you could use."

Bram shook his head. "No, no. It's alright. I don't want to take advantage of hospitality that I don't deserve."

"No, I insist!" she pressed. "I'm always willing to do charity for others." She sat down beside him, needle and spool in hand, and proceeded to sew the hand back into place. "You're a long way from home. How'd you get out here?"

"I ran away."

She glanced up at him, sympathy in her brilliant, crystal blue eyes. "Why would you do that?"

Bram sighed in frustration. "I don't know. I just got these weird feelings, and I was so angry, and..." He hung his head. "I can't go back after how I treated my parents. How could I have been so selfish; I just ran off _again_ , and they're probably scared to death. What kind of son am I?"

She snapped the thread, tightening the seam. "There. That should hold out for at least a few decades. Don't you worry. I'm sure your parents still love you."

He sighed. "What would the town say?"

"That doesn't matter."

"You don't know what it's like in Halloween Town. If I stray too far from the path to Halloween, they haunt me." He shook his head frantically. "I can never go back! But I can't stay here, as much as I love this world you live in."

The girl smiled. "Thank you. If you won't be returning to Halloween town, where will you go?"

He shrugged, admitting to himself that he really hadn't thought that far ahead. "I suppose I could wander my way to the Human world. Maybe I'll become one of those urban legends." He stood, his ragged pants now finally dry. "I guess I'll be leaving. I'm sorry for intruding, again."

"It's quite alright," she dismissed, handing him the spool of thread. "Here. For your travels."

He held up his hands, refusing the gifts. "No, that's quite alright."

"Please," she begged. This gesture made his throat clamp up, so he accepted the gift graciously. A knock suddenly came at the door, Bram diving under the bed. A loud, yet calming voice boomed from behind the door.

"Are you alright in there, Turtle Dove?" the man asked.

"Yes, Father. Just sketching." She knelt down by Bram, helping him out from under the bed. She whispered. "Quickly, out the window."

"Turtle Dove?" he whispered.

"It's my pet name," she answered simply, still keeping her voice low. "Now, go! He'd go red in the nose if he found you here."

She slid the window back up, letting in more than enough space for him to crawl through. He took to the ledge, but stopped. "Wait."

"Supper is almost ready, Turtle Dove!" the man called again.

"One moment, Father!" she lowered her voice again. "Yes, what is it?"

"What is your name?" he pleaded. Her crystal eyes smiled at him as no person ever had.

"Holly," she answered, roses appearing in her cheeks. "My name is Holly Claus."

"Turtle Dove?"

"I'm coming!" She turned back to her new friend. "Go, be safe!"

He crawled along the ledge, feeling lighter than air. He felt like laughing, cheering. He instead met the brick beneath him, then the cold reality of the fluff below. A small gasp squeaked from the window. He looked up to find her gazing down at him in concern.

"I'm alright!" She smiled in relief, preparing to return to her room. "Wait!" She stayed. "When can I see you again?"

She glanced around frantically, knowing that this was certainly unprecedented. "Over the hills, in the Christmas Tree forest. Meet me at its edge!"

He waved a goodbye, running off towards the hills. He had never felt so much energy in all his life. He felt giddy, happy, light as thread. No musical pleasure could compare to this feeling of joy. The joy of meeting her. Her blonde hair fell down her shoulders like a waterfall. Slender as his mother, yet twice as beautiful. Her eyes icy blue, her lips berry red. He had to collect himself for a moment when he imagined the delicate roses in her cheeks. This was it, his missing puzzle piece. Her very name was satisfying. He curled up in a hollow tree and fell asleep whispering her name

 _"Holly..."_


	6. Something's up with Jack

**Just a short little snip-it of Jack during all this, contemplating over how his afterlife had been with his family.**

Chapter 6:

The clock over the town hall hit another midnight. 125 more days until Halloween. Jack knew he still had more than enough time to worry, but how could he calm the storm inside him? Sally should have been back by now, and if she hadn't found Bram, then it was without a doubt that Bram had come about the Holiday Doors. He tried pacing about the tower. Could all of this have sided with Jack's earlier ambitions with Christmas? He remembered how distraught he felt, how empty his afterlife was. He'd wanted so much to just leave everything behind and start fresh, take on a new name. He'd ultimately failed, and managed to set things right. But, at what cost? Would Bram continue that legacy?

He shook the thought from his skull. How could he have so little faith in Bram? As he thought this, he was making his steady way to his son's room. It was as filthy as he remembered it, littered with sheets of paper and ink stains on his quilt. Posters of various musicians were pinned to his walls. He stooped down to collect one of the discarded sheets of crumbled paper from the floor. It was quite old, but still legible. Music sheets.

A small grin crept up Jack's face. He remembered when Bram was very young, how he would always become so incredibly excited at the sound of it. He would always be sure to save something for the zombie band on the street. By that time, Bram didn't understand the role he was going to play hundreds of years in the future. Jack set the music sheet on the desk and wandered into the hall. His gaze skimmed over the various pictures of him and his family. Many were of him and Bram spending Halloween together through the years. He'd been so proud to have his son with him to celebrate. Bram had the chesire cat grin sewn right onto his face that first night, unstitched because he was convinced it made him look scarier.

Then that smile started to disappear. Over the centuries, Bram's motivation just seemed to drain. He began holing himself in his room for days on end, changing some pieces of his red hair to look patched in black. Then he was running away.

Jack couldn't help but feel that this was somehow his fault. The signs should have been obvious. But, no. He tried to mold him back into the Bram he knew the only way he knew how: Halloween. It had only further damaged him. Knowing what that pressure felt like, it was a wonder he had put up with it for so long.

 _Please hurry, Sally,_ he begged.

 **For anybody who might be reading this at all, thanks for your consideration. Please share your thoughts if you like, and I post stuff pretty regularly (Yes, I really love writing) so, if you wish to follow me, that's also great. :)**


	7. Secrets

Chapter 7:

The sun rose over the graveyard, the dead rooster crowing. Jack was still wide awake, worrying. He'd tried his best to get some sleep, but Sally had not yet returned, and Bram's rescue was starting to stagnate. The best he could do was sprawl out into an armchair and think before he unknowingly slipped into black. At the moment he did, three cackling voices shattered the morning's silence.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel crouched below the window of Jack's house, giggling at the sight. Barrel stood on Shock's head, trying to get a better view of the sleeping King.

"Man, I've never seen Jack this bent out of shape," he exclaimed. Shock tipped her witch hat off, shaking Barrel from it.

"It's not the first time," Lock reminded them. "Remember?"

Shock kept staring into the window, searching. "I haven't seen the rag dolls yet. Where are they?"

"Who cares?" Lock whined. "I'm bored now, Shock."

"Yeah!" Barrel agreed. "Wanna go throw these rotten eggs at the Mayor's town wagon?" He held up a carton of green and purple eggs.

Shock huffed, ignoring the two boys, and tried another window. Lock and Barrel shrugged at each other, following Shock to the next window.

"Ugh! Where is he?!"

"He?" Lock and Barrel asked. Lock then gasped in realization. "I know what this is really about."

 _"Shock and Bram, hanging in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-T!"_ Shock grabbed both of their heads and bopped them together.

"It's _G,_ you idiots! And I'm not!"

"Ha! Yeah, right!" Lock scoffed. "Every time you run into that bozo, you run off after him. You never do anything with us anymore!"

Shock slapped him on the face with her mask. "No, moron! This is bigger than me! If Bram is missing, what if he's _really_ missing? What if Sally is out there right now looking for him?"

"What's your point?" Lock asked.

"Yeah!" Barrel agreed through a mouthful of candy he was eating.

"Who's to say we don't find him first, and make a deal?" She huddled them into a circle. "Okay, here's the plan."

* * *

Bram woke strangely warm. A red, knitted blanket hung around his shoulders. He rubbed his eyes wearily and slowly crawled into the daylight. He had to shield his eyes from the white that was beginning to blind him in the dawn, or maybe dusk. What time was it? He took the time to search around. The tree he resided to was enormous and hollow, by still sturdy and covered in snow. A few were even decorated similarly to the ones in Christmas Town.

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

Bram started at the sudden voice, but was relieved to see Holly at the top of the hill in a snug red parka, carrying a sack. She smiled at him warmly and called for him back inside the tree. She spread out the contents of the sack: food, warmth, and something to drink. Bram had just come to realize that he was starving, having gone possibly two days without a decent meal.

"I only have food from here. I hope it's alright." She handed him some bread.

"It's great. Thank you." He ate about half of it instantly before slowing down. He wanted to know more about her, about this world, and about how she knew about his world. But, where to start...?

"So, how's that urban legend idea holding up?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, wonderful! Just great! I'm thinking of calling myself 'The Stitch Man'. You like it, yes? No?" She giggled at his joke, but must have known that the idea would not be taken seriously. "Why did you help me?"

She shrugged. "That's just what I do. My father says that you should always help those in need, no matter who they are. It's really seedy, but I've learned to accept it. So, Bram. Who are you, really?"

He wished she hadn't come to that subject. What exactly should he reveal to her, and how much?

"Well, I come from Halloween Town. My parents were always thrilled to do some scaring, and I was too, at first. Then, it just got annoying, then infuriating, and it just got to a point where it absolutely terrified me. I didn't want to scare people. I just wanted to hide in the catacombs like a phantom and play the organ all day."

"Like _Phantom of the Opera_!" she pointed.

"Yes! Writing music that I thought could calm people and make them happy...that's what I really wanted! But, I just couldn't bear to tell my parents that I didn't want to be-" he stopped for a minute to think about what to say. "...like them."

"That must have been hard for you."

He nodded. "How do you know so much about Halloween Town?"

"My father has had some run-ins with the Pumpkin King."

The mention of his father made Bram go rigid. What had his father done? "What kind of run-ins?"

Holly gazed down at the town, a disappointed look on her face. "He tried to steal our holiday."

He choked on the bread he was currently chewing, almost unable to comprehend what she had said. His father, the Pumpkin King, the Master of Fright known around the Human world as the scariest creature to ever stalk the earth...kidnapped a holiday?!

" _What?!_ "

She blinked in surprise. "You didn't know? It's been told for centuries as the 'Unsilenced Night". I'm surprised your parents never told you."

Why hadn't his parents told him? Why would Jack do such a thing when he seemed so devoted to Halloween? What really happened?

"What exactly happened?" he asked.

"Well, it was a very long time ago, long before my siblings and I were born. A skeleton man had found his way into our world. Then, without warning, my father Santa Claus was kidnapped by three despicable children in costumes. He was taken to a world of fright and mockery of Christmas, the Pumpkin King even taking his trademark hat. Father was then taken to a vile torture chamber with a monster called Oogie Boogie, a gambler with a voracious appetite for whatever fell down his hole. The Pumpkin Queen tried her best to free him, for she knew wiser than the King and the citizens. It was only after the King had delivered his dastardly toys and shot out of the sky did he realize the error of his ways and free my father and the Queen. Santa has been on rather good terms with Mr. Skellington lately, but he never really forgot what happened 1,700 years ago."

Bram was frozen, horrified. He knew his father was scary, but this? How desperate was Jack to do this? Surely, there must have been some reason. He wouldn't take something without reason, right? This had clearly brought some sort of shame on the family, whether it be harsh or vague. With this knowledge, Bram was brought to panic. Should Holly find out that he was Jack's son...!

 _No!_ he told himself. _She won't find out. I'm not the Pumpkin Prince anymore, after all._

"But," Holly continued. "My father will be retiring soon. He's passing the title to my brother Nicholas. He's been waiting to be the next Santa Claus since the first time he saw our father set off to the Human world."

"Is it much pressure on him at all?" Bram asked, hoping to relate.

"Well, sure. There is pressure on carrying such a big responsibility. But, he's excited." She gazed over the horizon, staring at the dipping sun as it began to rise. A church bell rang down in the village below. "I have to go. Will you still be here?"

He blinked in surprise. Did Holly really want him to be there? Did she want him to stay?

He shrugged. "Maybe the Stitch Man is supposed to be a Christmas legend."

She giggled at his joke and slid her way down the snowy hillside. He sighed happily. How lucky was he to meet someone as wonderful as her? He wanted to sit beside her longer, wrap his arms around her, and be with her now and forever. But, would she want the same? She was so beautiful and independent, and he was the son of the Holiday Kidnapper; a boy with stitches and cloth for skin.

"Holly," he said, as if he were really speaking to her. "I don't care if I'm scary-looking or who my father is. Because it's plain to see: we're simply meant to be."

* * *

She shook the snowflakes from her hair, giggling.

 _Bram sure is a jolly guy,_ Holly laughed internally, hanging her parka on a nearby coat hanger. She strolled into the kitchen, heating up a kettle for some hot chocolate. The place was far from quiet however, given all the Claus children had come down for breakfast. The triplets, Winter, Crystal, and December, were chattering over which outfits they should wear that day. Eight-year-old Yule and Ivy, his sister by one year, were arguing over which reindeer was the best. Frost and Faith had already eaten their cinnamon rolls and retired to the living room to play. Three-year-olds Christine and Christopher were getting their own breakfasts on their clothes, and 15-month-old Angelina was being fed by Nicholas.

 _On the twelfth child of Christmas, my mother gave to me..._ Holly hummed in her head.

"Holly, dear!" An old woman with gray hair and small glasses rushed into the kitchen. "There you are! Where were you?"

"Just out for a stroll, Mother," Holly replied.

"Well, your father's been looking for you. He needs to speak with you."

Holly knitted her eyebrows. Why would he need to speak with her? Was something wrong? She marched down the decorative hall to the living room door. She lightly knocked, receiving a reply to come in. She swung the door open, and jumped a bit backwards. Her father sat in his usual chair by the fire while a woman with red hair, blue skin, and stitches sat on the sofa, a transparent dog with a glowing pumpkin for a nose on her lap.

"Come in, darling. Nothing to be afraid of," Santa Claus said.

Holly never took her eyes off the rag woman as she slowly sat down on the sofa beside her.

"You're not in any trouble, Turtle Dove," Santa said. "Mrs. Skellington is just here to ask you a few questions."

"About what?"

"My son ran away," Mrs. Skellington explained. "And it may be possible that he fell down here. I was wondering if you may have seen him, Holly."

Her son ran away as well? She looked so much like Bram...and Holly was a complete idiot to not notice sooner! What was she thinking? This had happened before: a Halloween King running away to a jolly land for something new. Something inside her cracked, and Holly felt black. Bram lied to her (well, more of a lie by omission). It was a heartbreaking scenario to be sure. Bram had tricked her into being friends, letting him into her home, and giving him food. She should have every right to turn him in after all he'd done.

She looked Mrs. Skellington straight in the eye and said: "No. I haven't."

* * *

The iced window was thick enough to hide him, but Bram's horror couldn't be held back. The sight he'd seen: his mother, Sandy Claws, and Holly. She learned the truth; he didn't need to hear the conversation.

 _She_ hates _me now!_ he internally cried. _Bone-Head! Bone-Head! What is wrong with me?! It's over! She'll never trust me, again!_

Bram broke out into a sprint, his long legs taking him deep into the black, pine forest. He was screaming at himself, cursing himself, not noticing the white snow beneath his running feet melt into black earth. He could only think of Holly, his first real friend, and the betrayal evident on her face.

A tree root caught his ankle, pulling him down. His head hit the dirt, dragging him down a hillside. He rolled down the slope, rocks and roots hitting his back, and didn't stop until he landed in the Circle of the Holiday Doors. He groaned miserably, popping his back and neck. The seven doors enclosed him, mocking him. He whirled around, the Halloween Door smiling menacingly at him. He glowered at it, his eyes growing dark with rage.

"This is all _your_ fault!" he shrieked, grabbing a rock and hurling it at the Pumpkin. The rock smashed, sending out three yelps.

 _Wait, trees don't scream. I think._ Bram slowly approached the tree. "Come out, if you know what's good for you!"

A pudgy figure toppled from behind the Pumpkin Door. It wore a skeleton costume and smelled like candy.

"Barrel?"

He looked up and waved at him. "Hiya, Bram!"

His two cohorts revealed themselves as well. Though they were only half his size, they had still grown since the last time he'd seen them. They were tricksters, thieves, con artists. His father had warned him about them.

"What are you three doing here?" he growled.

"We're so glad we found you, Bram!" Lock said. Barrel hugged the rag doll's leg, as if to really show affection. Shock jumped up to wrap her arms around his waist.

"OOOOOHH!" Lock and Barrel screamed playfully. " _Shock and Bram, sitting in a tree-!"_

Shock gave them a death stare, and the two immediately shut up. She let go of him, blushing a bit.

"Your dad sent us!" Shock explained.

"Forget it!" Bram snapped, shaking his leg to pry Barrel loose. "You can tell that Numb-Skull that I won't have anything more to-!"

"What?" Lock interrupted. "Oh, no, no, no! You misunderstand us, dear prince. You really think we'd listen to Jack?"

"Well-" Barrel started before Shock kicked his back. "OW!"

"We know what you want," Shock said. "And we're prepared to make you a deal."

Bram raised his eyebrow. What were they planning? Could he really trust them. "I'm listening."

"We know how you can take down your title for good!" Shock proclaimed.

"Really?" Bram couldn't believe what he was hearing. He literally didn't. Why would they want to do something like that? "What's the catch?"

"No catch!" Barrel said. Bram flung him from his leg, shooting him into the Pumpkin Tree. "We promise!"

"We promise!" Lock and Shock chimed in.

His situation was dire, he was desperate, and what other choice did he have? "Lead the way."

"Whatever you say, Bram." They cackled, holding their crossed fingers behind their backs.


	8. Unstitched

Chapter 8:

The bathtub hobbled down the black, barren land, the extra weight of Bram slowing its journey.

"You three better not be trying to trick me, because you will be _very_ sorry if you do," Bram promised.

"Relax," Lock groaned. "We're almost there anyway."

"You've been saying that for the past hour. And, lay low. I can't afford anyone seeing me."

The bathtub marched down the hill. Lock, Shock, and Barrel all jumped out. The tub then heaved, sending Bram straight into the cage at the end of the bridge.

"Yeah, it does that," Barrel said, closing the door behind them all. The cage lurched and was pulled up by ropes, bringing them into the Treehouse. The three tricksters spilled out, Bram following. The place was old and musty, mold growing in a corner where several bugs started fleeing. The three pulled him towards a mouth-like chute, complete with eyes and menacing-looking teeth.

"After you," Shock gestured towards the hole.

"Are you serious? Down there?" Bram pointed.

"You want that title gone or not?!" Lock sneered.

"Yes! But, tell me one thing. How can you do that?"

"You'll have to talk to him," Shock replied.

Bram suddenly felt three sets of hands grab him and drag him towards the hole. He struggled, but he soon found himself tumbling into darkness, hitting metal walls and yelling out with each impact...

"Hurt! Ouch! Pain! Ow! Head! Leg! Arm! Pumpkins!"

...until he plummeted onto a giant roulette table. He groaned, rubbing his hair. Those dirty, little...The sound of rolling dice rattled through the dark chamber. Bram stood on the roulette center, glancing around the dark cavern. Two dice suddenly knocked against his legs, both landing on one.

"Well, well, well," a voice rumbled. "What have we here?"

"Who are you?" Bram demanded.

"Oh, you know who I am, Prince Bram. I'm a gambling boogyman!"

Oogie Boogie! He should have known. He was the monster that his parents had told him about, why he should never go near the Treehouse or with Lock, Shock, and Barrel anywhere.

"You! You were the one who nearly killed my parents!"

"Oh, let's not be pointing fingers." Bram yelped as millions of bugs swarmed the chamber, snakes and spiders writhing between them. The voice of Oogie Boogie laughed.

"What do you want?"

"It's not about what I want, Prince. I believe you came to me for _my_ help."

"How can you possibly help?" Bram questioned. Oogie Boogie was dead, wasn't he? His bugs were squished. How could he possibly denounce Bram's title as Pumpkin Prince?

The bugs began circling the center. "The only way for you to do that is to change your skin."

Bram blinked. "I...you can do that?"

"You're a rag doll, ain't ya?" Bram stared down at his stitched hands, noting the stark white skin and red thread Holly had sewn in. He supposed it made sense, seeing as how he needed no blood or vital organs. But how? He decided not to think about it too much.

"You can go out to that Christmas Town and be with the little Sandy Girl."

Bram's head snapped up. "How did you-" He stopped, receiving no reply. It was true. He wanted to be this, for Holly and himself. "Alright."

"There's still one thing, Bram. You got to hand in the loot."

"But, I don't have-"

"Nah, I don't ask for much, little boy. All I want is a song."

Huh? "That's it?"

"Yep."

"Seriously?"

A song? Seemed fair enough. Was there a catch? Maybe. But would it come back to bite Bram in the future. Very probably. He didn't want to think of that. He wanted to travel the world with his music, Holly by his side.

 _"I don't have much to give, only a hand  
Why does the world feel against it  
The King that they so demand  
_ _Cannot stand to be this._

 _I wait for you, my love.  
I'll amend my flaws.  
_ _For, with you, my Turtle Dove,  
_ _Be my Holly Claus."_

The bugs swarmed up the table, inching up his ankles. They starting making their steady way up his body, beneath his fingers and into his hair. He closed his eyes as the bugs crawled over his face, and he went numb.

* * *

Shock swung her legs over the chute. Barrel was asleep in the bathtub, Lock sitting on the rim. He sighed impatiently.

"What's taking so long?" he whined, turning the faucet on and drenching Barrel.

"How should I know?!" Lock snapped. "I don't even know what that rag sack is getting himself into. Wait, whassat?" A low rumbling emitted from the chute, shaking Shock to the ground. Her two comrades burst into laughter, but she quickly shut them up with a slap. "Shut up, idiots! It's coming."

The rumbling grew louder, the chute shaking violently, until a large bulking mass shot out of it. A sack, tied at the end, flumped until the floor like a corpse. The three thieves huddled together, anxious of the bag at their feet.

"Someone should go touch it," Barrel suggested.

"You do it," Lock said to Shock.

"No, you do it!" Shock said to Lock.

"Lock, you do it!" Barrel said.

The two twisted their way behind the devil boy and pushed him towards the sack. He slowly edged his way to it, picking up a fire stoker. He pointed at the sack, jabbing it lightly a few times. It made no move, so Lock cautiously pulled the knots loose from the strings, opened the bag, and yelled.

"Oh, my God! It's hideous!" The other two rushed to look, and winced in horror. "I think it's breathing."

"People don't breathe here, you dummie!" Barrel argued. Lock reached in, poking at the squishy flesh.

"It's warm, too. Is that Bram?"

"Well, whatever it is, let's get rid of it!" Lock cried.

* * *

Holly waved after Mrs. Skellington as she marched back up the snowy hill. The ghost dog, learning his name was Zero, floated after her, a candy cane in his mouth. Her chest felt heavy, knowing she had lied. But, when she'd find Bram, she'd throw some coal in his face for tricking her. She threw on her parka, buttoning it up as she hurried outside to the forest. The snow had ceased earlier that morning, so the footprints were still fresh. They led to the forest, then to the window of her house, and over the hills.

 _Oh, no._ A horrible thought ran through her end. She dashed up the hill to find her suspicions were indeed true. Bram was gone, his footprints leading deep into the forest.

 _He must have seen me, with his mother,_ she concluded. _The poor soul! He's probably scared to death._ (No pun intended.)

She felt cruel, though justifiably cruel. He had omitted to tell her of his title, but mentioned that he did not want to be that. And the shocking knowledge of what his father had done hundreds of years ago probably didn't help. She was still angry, _very angry_ , for taking advantage of her. But, she couldn't help but feel sorry for his predicament as she trudged back down the hill.

* * *

Autumn leaves swirled around her until Sally finally landed on Spiral Hill, Zero in her arms. She set him down, a look of regret and surrender on her face. Zero whimpered, putting his head into the palm of her hand. She put on a sad smile and scratched behind his ears.

"Don't worry, Zero. We'll find him."

She slid down the hill, letting her red hair come out of its bun. After two days, she'd accept the first defeat. But, she'd go back out. Bram had to be somewhere; he couldn't just disappear. She hugged her shoulders, trying to figure out what on earth to tell Jack. Zero suddenly started barking.

"What is it, Zero?"

She turned in the direction he was barking at, a figure appearing over the black Hill. She narrowed her eyes to focus on the stranger, until she saw...

"Bram?!"

The rag doll looked up at his mother, a look of utter shock on his face. Sally dropped all composure and ran up to her son to hug him. He grunted at the impact, but returned the gesture. She gazed at him to find that she was crying, sobbing as she caressed his hair.

"Oh, my God! Bram! We were worried sick!" she bawled.

"I'm okay, Mom," he reassured, his head digging into her hair. His luminous, poison green eyes flashed as he grinned evilly. "Just _wonderful..."_


	9. A New Skin

Chapter 9:

Bram groaned, his head swimming. His skin felt cold and soft, his scalp itching. He reached up to scratch his head, but stopped. His hair felt soft, almost curly, compared to his stringy yarn hair he was accustomed to. He brought his hand to his face, and gasped. Instead of the pale white, stitched cloth hand in front of him, there was a perfectly whole, cinnamon-colored hand. The arm attached to it was whole as well, sprinkled with black hair. His clothes had been changed to a bulky, green coat and denim pants. His shoes were replaced by heavy snow boots.

 _It worked!_ he realized in wonderment.

"It worked," he whispered. He noticed that his voice had not changed. He felt across his face. The chesire cat smile was gone, replaced with smooth cheeks on either side of his lips. Snow fell into his eyes, and he discovered that he was at the top of a hill looking down at Christmas Town, the sun setting. Holly was down there in the castle, hating him for his actions. He was desperate to win back her trust and approval. He wanted that friendship he'd first felt with her. He edged down the hill, trying to compose a plan.

* * *

Holly laid in bed, dipping in and out of sleep. This was her one chance to get some sleep in summer, but her muddled thoughts mixed together like cookie batter. She felt so much anger, betrayal, hurt...and guilt. Guilt towards lying to Mrs. Skellington, towards her hurting Bram, towards her taking half a cookie from the bakery. Yes, Bram was still very much her friend, but he had the audacity to take advantage of her.

 _What a strange character..._ she thought before giving in to sleep once again.

When she awoke again, the peppermint-striped alarm clock blared _Silver Bells_ and she put on her slippers to trudge down to the kitchen. She ate half a cinnamon roll and two sips of coffee before retiring to her room to dress. She threw on a blue winter coat and hurried over to the Workshop, hoping to find some sort of work to take her mind off the nagging in her brain. She settle for hand-stitching some dolls and bears.

"Hello, Miss Claus!" a tiny elf stood on a stool to get a better view of his work. "Nice to see you in the Workshop again."

Holly smiled. "I thought I might do some catching up. Say, Thistle, it's awfully quiet in here."

Thistle glanced around the workroom, taking note of the few elves inside. "Oh, yeah. They're all at choir practice."

"I thought that was for the children."

Thistle shrugged. "Maybe they're opening an adult choir? Who knows. Why don't you go down there and check it out?"

Holly pushed herself out of her chair, leaving the unfinished doll on the table. She marched out the door towards the choir building. Before she even reached the door, her ears were met with beautiful piano music and the angelic choir singing to it. She quietly pushed the door open, seeing the awestruck faces of the adults. Even the triplets and her father were mesmerizingly staring at the stage of children as she never had seen them do before. She turned her gaze to the stage, and was equally, if not more, struck than the rest of the audience.

The children were softly singing their Christmas carols, their eyes all on the piano accompanist. A man she had never seen before, but was entranced by how he was able to play so magically. He flipped through _Joy to the World_ as if he had known it since birth. He switched from major to minor keys, blending magic and mystery into the song as the children sang with the music. When he finally concluded the song, the audience, Father, and even the choir children erupted into applause.

The youth finally turned around, and Holly got a good look at his face. His skin was the color of baked cinnamon, his hair long and unkempt. Large, smiling eyes that, even though were far from hers, flashed a bright violet. She saw her father hobble onto the stage to shake his hand, praise him. Holly wanted to do the honor as well, but the crowd in front of her would not let her through so fast. They were swarming the edge of the stage in excitement. Holly could've sworn she saw her triplet sisters climbing up the stage as if to tear off his clothes.

The church bell suddenly rang six o'clock, signaling everyone to get back to work. The crowd finally dispersed, filing out towards the various shops and workshops they were assigned to. Holly prepared to follow them, when her father called out to her. She hurried up the stage and met her father's side. She smiled politely.

"Holly, this is Ben Kin, the new choir director. Ben, this is my daughter Holly."

The young man, Ben, was transfixed on her, staring at her. His eyes seemed to glow warmly with that strange violet color. A light blush rose in her cheeks. Santa cleared his throat.

"Well, Mr. Kin will be here for Nicholas's takeoff, so Holly, would you mind helping him adjust?"

Ben's eyes pleaded to her, and she almost lost herself. "Hm? Oh! No, I don't mind! Welcome, Mr. Kin, to Christmas Town." She held out her hand to shake, and he took it hesitantly. "It's very nice to meet you, sir."

"Just call me Ben," he requested. Holly's eyebrows shot up. His voice was strikingly familiar.

* * *

Bram couldn't believe this was happening. He was on a stage. He had performed for the first time, and everyone loved it! He was shaking hands with Sandy Claws, and then Holly. Holly was there, though she obviously didn't know it was him. He was now Ben Kin, the choir director. He lived in the attic of the church tower and was going to be paid very generously by Sandy, supposedly. Yes, this was his new life. But his next decision would be whether or not to tell her who he really was. He had been glued to her eyes the entire time, and he still saw anger and hurt in them.

 _I'll let it be for now,_ he decided. Though, he wanted to say " _Holly, it's me! It's your friend, Bram. I'm sorry for hurting you!"_ but what would that mean to her. Nothing. She thought nothing of him. He'd settle for this.

 **Sorry for the late posts-if anyone really cares-I just had writer's block. It's coming along though. Expect more chapters very soon. And, as always, reviews and favs and follows are always recommended. What are your thoughts? Do you like it? Got any suggestions? Anything to help move this story along would be AWESOME! ;)**


	10. Crawling Schemes

Chapter 10:

 _August 31, 61 days until Halloween_

Oogie had never felt so much pride in himself. To think, he'd finally managed to crawl away in a new skin where no one suspected a thing. He couldn't wipe the evil smirk off his new face. That nosy, little rag doll-that he had to masquerade as his mother for the time being-had sobbed right into his shirt. He'd willingly went home with her, met by none other than the Pumpkin King himself. The bone man had hugged him, and Oogie had found the sensation very uncomfortable. Nevertheless, Jack rambled on how worried they were, how glad they were to see him again, blah blah blah...

There was only a handful of days to go by; Halloween was quickly approaching. Though Oogie Boogie thought himself very clever and dastardly, he admitted to himself that this couldn't be done alone. He marched outside, spotting the three brats instantly.

"Lock! Shock! Barrel!"

They froze in their places, a lit stock of dynamite held aloft in Lock's hand as he was trying to drop it into the Witches' Cauldron. Barrel dropped his box of explosives a beat after he'd heard the voice-his voice! He'd made a few tweeks by cleverly capturing the Prince's voice with that _horrid_ song-and hung his mouth open. Oogie marched over, his new, longer legs giving him a quick stride. He snatched the dynamite from Lock's hand, throwing it absentmindedly over his shoulder.

"B-Bram?" Barrel stuttered.

Oogie rolled a die between his fingers, a new attachment that he'd come to love. "Bram isn't here right now, boys. He had to deal with something that was _bugging_ him." A cockroach scattered its way out of one of the rag doll's seams and disappeared between the folds of his arm and wrist.

"OOGIE BOOGIE!"

He swiftly grabbed two heads and banged all three together, hard enough at least to make them see bats. He then snatched all three by the backs of their collars and dragged them into the cemetery. They choked and gagged before cowering before him. Good. He wanted them to fear him.

"Oogie Boogie?" Barrel asked.

"It's really you! In...Bram," Lock noted.

"It's so...beautiful!" Shock awed.

Oogie snapped her a disgusted look, clearly very confused. But the sly smile returned within seconds, turning into a chuckle.

"Don't you see, twits? With that bag of leaves out of the way, and me in this body, I'll be the object of the holiday. Once I dispose of that Skellington and Dollface, and _I'm_ ruling this town, I'll have the entire town of Halloween in the palm of my...hand. I'm still getting used to these things. And, you'll have all the privilege of wreaking as much havoc as the place can stand, until all the Holidays are brought down and belong to me."

The three imps beamed at each other, anticipating the thought of wreaking havoc. Oogie chuckled. "Yes, I knew you'd love it. So, we go ourselves a deal?"

* * *

The auditorium was empty, and Bram was finished with that day's rehearsal. As silly as it may seem, he actually took a very quick liking to the small children, sitting patiently and talking to him. He made sure to take care of one little girl in particular-Noelle-who was in a tiny wheelchair. She looked as if she would snap in two if he dared to pick her up, and could quite possibly. But he vowed never to do so.

The children raced to the seats to retrieve their belongings, and Bram went to carry Noelle down the stage steps. Happy, little things. They weren't as rambunctious as the children of Halloween town. More well-behaved and relaxed. He finally set Noelle down on the floor and she raced to catch up with the other children. He smiled to himself.

"That was a very beautiful rehearsal."

He flinched, noticing the blonde-haired beauty seated front row. His new heart beat rapidly, his skin becoming wet. She rose from her seat.

"The children seem to really love you."

"Really?" he asked. "Well, that's a relief."

She eyed him curiously, making Bram's gaze drop down to his shoes. She flew past him, making her way to the piano. She ran her fingers over the keys.

"I never really thought much of the music that came from other places," she admitted. "The ones you play are so beautiful."

Bram took his place on the bench beside her. "Thank you, though I'm still getting used to the feel of a piano."

She raised her eyebrows. "What? You play as if you'd been since the day you were born, and you're getting _used_ to it?" She laughed.

Bram's stomach-Oh wow! A stomach!-sank, not sure whether this was teasing or insulting. He decided to try teasing, since her face fell into a look of concern. "Oh! Well, at first, I played xylophone. My mother saw how great I was at it, and tried me for organ. At my church!" he quickly added. "I grew up to be very talented at it, and I began wandering. I don't exactly know how I wound up here." That last bit wasn't a complete lie. And, Holly seemed convinced. She set her hand on his.

"Well, I'm very glad you did."

He smiled sheepishly, his cheeks burning. She stood, patting his shoulder. "Keep up the good work."

Once the door had safely closed behind her, he stood up as started shouting with joy. Holly was actually liking him! But, how long would this go on? He'd have to tell her sometime, and he probably had some bones to pick back in Halloween Town. He wondered what the boogeyman had done to change Halloween Town, and how would it affect him. He sighed, not knowing what to do.

* * *

"No, no, no!" Ben stopped the choir about two weeks later. "All wrong! Sopranos, do not use that throat voice so much. It needs to come out of here." He pinched the top of his head, raising it as if he were pulling a string. "Like a marionette, straight back with the control coming from the head. Altos, you were a bit flat on that last measure. Tenors, Baritones, Basses, I need more energy from you! You're the driving harmony that keeps everyone grounded. I need that force!" He played the starting note again. "From the top!"

Holly spied from the curtain of the stage. This young man was brilliant! Confident and kind, very good with children. She had seen such a change in town since his arrival. People talk, and the talk of him was the most brought up subject. Her triplet sisters had been giggling and gawking over him, thinking him handsome. This wasn't false, of course, but Holly found him rather endearing, familiar even. He was tall, lanky, and large eyes that swelled with emotion. She had seen those eyes before, violet.

Holly lost track of how many times she sneaked off work to spy into choir rehearsal just to see Mr. Kin, er, Ben. It must have been many, because the Triplets were waiting for her by the door, giggling. She glanced over at them, one hand on the door.

"What?"

"You're here to see Mr. Kin again. Aren't you, Holly?" Winter chirped.

"We know you like him," December added.

"You're in _love_ with him!" Crystal emphasized the word 'love'.

"What?" Holly blushed, ticking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Why on earth would you say that?"

"You're blushing!" they sang.

Holly groaned and pushed her way in. Yes, she was enamored, but it wasn't love, was it? She had never fallen in love before, and, well, maybe someday she would. But she had anticipated it to be NOW! She stopped at the stage, her mind boggling. The children were spilling down the stairs, grabbing their coats and scarves. Ben shut the lid to the piano, packing away the sheet music.

"Holly?"

She slid down to sit on the floor, confused. Why was it that every time he spoke, she heard Bram? She missed him, cursing herself for acting so cruelly. If she could only talk to him for one minute, to say she was sorry, to say she wanted to see him again...

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked into Ben's eyes. Violet. Strange, yet beautiful violet. She realized hers were filling with tears.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She wiped her cheek, nodding. "I just...I was just thinking of a friend."

He raised an eyebrow. "A friend?"

She nodded, wondering if she could trust him to keep his secret. Unless, there was something he was keeping secret himself.

"He was a...strange character. He came from a far away place just like you did. But, under different circumstances. He'd ran away from home."

He blinked, which Holly found rather strange. Why react like that? No gasp, nor widened eyes. Only a blink. She continued.

"I helped him. I tended to his injuries, brought him food, even offered to stay. I really felt a close connection with him. But, I found out that he..." She stopped herself, not sure whether to continue or not. He squeezed her shoulder lightly, prompting her to move forward. "He was the Pumpkin Prince from Halloween Town! He ran away to avoid his fate. The Queen had stopped by, and...I suppose he ran. I never saw him again afterwards."

Tears ran down her cheeks, and she buried herself into Ben's chest. She felt his heartbeat, heard his lungs breath in and out. She was surprised at how brittle it sounded, as if dry leaves were scratching the sides of his body. He held her gently and helped her to her feet.

"Would you like to come to first dress rehearsal?" he asked. "It's next week. I would love for you to see."

She nodded, smiling. His eyes shone a lavender color with joy. She suddenly remembered: Bram's eyes were violet. Could Ben and Bram be the same person? She had no evidence, but it seemed clear as day. He looked vastly different, but his chest was hard, almost lumpy. His eyes were very purple. Their voices were exactly the same. She was almost surely convinced. She wrapped her arms around him, and he returned the gesture, and he whispered into her ear:

"I'll see you then, Turtle Dove."


	11. Oogie's Turn to Boogie

Chapter 11:

 _September 22nd - 39 days until Halloween_

Jack could not have been happier to have his son back with him. And, not a moment too soon. Halloween preparations were crazier than ever, September 22nd marking the official autumn season. This required everyone to pitch in. Except...

Bram had been acting rather strangely. After finding him, he'd seemed almost unaffected by the incident, as if it had never happened. As if the past 500 years never happened. He'd quickly picked up a deep enthusiasm that rivaled even Jack's. He'd find him up late at night, working on something scary. It was odd to say the very least. But, nonetheless, he appreciated having his son join him in the preparations.

The town hall was empty aside from Jack, Bram, and the Mayor, surveying multiple plans for Halloween pinned on the wall. The Mayor was ranting something about blood on the ground, soaking the people's socks, then raining frogs and birds.

"What do you think, Bram?" Jack asked. Bram shook his head, taking a few papers and rearranging them.

"Raining frogs and birds? Overflowing blood fountain? That's...cute. But, it could be better, old man."

 _That's the spirit!_ Jack smiled. "Well, what do you suggest?"

Bram unpinned and reapplied the papers with precision Jack had rarely ever seen.

"It needs more than a jump scare. Almost a creep vibe where you suspect the danger is right behind you, but don't realize it until...BAM!" he stepped back, revealing a plan of darkness, fireworks, smoke, and magical appearances. "It's too late."

The Mayor stood in surprise, motionless. Jack moved to stand by Bram. "It seems like we have a terrifying Pumpkin King in the making. Where are all these ideas coming from?"

Bram shrugged. "I don't mean to brag, but - "

"Jack!" the Mayor interrupted. "I don't mean to interject, but I thought the two of us were the ones making the plans."

"Well, Bram's the next Pumpkin King. I feel that he should have role in the preparations."

"But he never has before!" Mayor argued. Bram flashed him a cold, green stare.

"Now, Mayor. We must include Bram if he wants to. He is the next Pumpkin King, after all." Jack tried to be reasonable, even though he felt somewhat offended. "Let my son have a say, Mayor. Soon, you'll only be taking initiative from him without me."

* * *

Oogie stifled a cackle at the two officials' petty bickering. As amusing as it was, he wasn't totally finished. He still had to get Jack and his doll out of the way. Oogie crept behind the curtain and out the back door to the alley. They should've been there by now.

 _Idiots!_ he groaned.

The unmistakable sound of the bathtub hobbling down the stone street came clobbering into the alley. The three twits were sitting on its rims, a large sack in the tub.

"You got it?" Oogie demanded.

"Ten pounds of Deadly Nightshade, just like you asked," Lock confirmed. "When do we get our cut?"

"After we take over this washed-up, backwater town!" the boogeyman barked. "Now, sneak it into some tea or something. Take. Them. Out."

"Oogie, don't you think Bram will come back when he finds out Halloween belongs to you?" Barrel asked.

The bug-filled rag doll swung his arm at the young trick-or-treater, but stopped just as his hand nudged the boy's cheek. He knit his eyebrows together, thinking. Though he'd never admit it, the imp was right. That Rag Prince cared about his parents too much to let Oogie Boogie go through with this. If it was anything like last time, Jack (and if he was anything like his father, Bram) would have him squished.

"Just put the poison in!" he ordered. "I'll take care of the Prince."

* * *

Holly had examined Ben closely from that point on, noting every moment, every word he spoke. Very poetic, almost theatrical and melodramatic at times. He often rambled about composers such as Beethoven and Bach, his favorite musical being _Phantom of the Opera,_ and sewed all the choir robes (changing them from white and gold to red with dark green). The likeness was uncanny, but how could she prove it?

On the day of the first dress rehearsal, her eyes were glued to the maestro. There had to be some way to prove that he was who she thought he was. There had to be some thread of proof. Thread? Sewing!

 _That's it!_ she proclaimed in her head as the choir had ended their last piece, and Holly applauded. The children and Ben (Bram?) all took a bow, and Holly stood to approach the conductor. He dismissed the children, helping Noelle off the stage before joining Holly.

"That was wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"Thank you," he said, blushing.

"Now, B-Ben," she stammered. "Well, I was about to - "

"Holly! Ben!" They both turned to look at the jolly man in red, a tall, rather well-built young man behind him. Holly nearly smiled that the pleasant "coincidence". She may have rumored to her father about Ben's sewing, and well...

"Father? Nick?" Holly asked transparently. "What are you doing here?"

"I must speak to Mr. Kin for a moment. Mr. Kin, my son Nicholas." Santa gestured to the man behind him.

"Nice to meet you sir," Nicholas shook Ben's hand.

"You, as well," Ben replied.

"So, Father?" Holly probed.

Santa cleared his throat. "Yes, of course. Mr. Kin, I have witnessed your fine artistry with the choir robes, and I've come to request a suit for Nicholas. If you don't mind, of course."

The lightbulb in Holly's mind grew brighter. She saw Ben nod. "I suppose I could _pull_ a few strings."

Santa laughed heartily at the joke and patted the young man's shoulder. "That's the spirit! I'll leave you to it."

Holly couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. Sewing was a rag doll's greatest strength. If she could find a way to admit sewing body parts, maybe she could actually see and talk to Bram again...or make a complete fool of herself.

* * *

Bram had the slight suspicion that Holly was on to him. She was watching him more closely than ever, and it creeped him out a bit. He tried not notice it as he measured the features of the future Sandy Claws for his suit. The red of this suit was as red as his heart seemed, passionate and romantic. He wanted to tell Holly with all of his heart that he was Bram, that he was sorry, and that he'd do anything and everything for her. But, he worked at the sewing machine day and night, attaching buttons by hand and struggling to hide good seams.

Five weeks into making it, the door to the castle studio opened. Bram expected to see Holly, but instead found Nicholas.

"Fine craftsmanship," Nick commended.

"Thank you, sir. I wasn't exactly expecting you here," he admitted.

"You thought I was Holly." Bram shrugged one shoulder. "She certainly is enticed with you. Obsessed, almost. I think she may have slight crush on you."

Bram chuckled, trying to see it as a joke. Holly would never fall in love with a dismembered dishrag like him. She was far too independent for that. But he noticed Nicholas's face, and Bram's attitude immediately changed. He cleared his throat, stitching faux fur to the hem of the coat.

"I...I really don't think she'd want me," he mumbled.

"Nonsense!" Nick protested. "You'd be wonderful with her. She's seen you. You're all she and my triplet sisters talk about."

"I've just made so many mistakes."

"We've all made mistakes. We just have to learn from them and make things right again."

Bram tried to take reassurance in Nicholas's words. He was so kind, but how could it be the truth? Truly, this saint was meant to be Sandy Claws, even if he only had hands. He couldn't help but look back at everything he'd left behind: his parents, his friends, his town. Although it may seem as though he'd grown to detest it, Bram truly loved Halloween. It was a part of him, and he still loved it and his family. He remembered when his mother would stitch up his knee when he fell down, when his father would carry him on his shoulders, when he enjoyed scaring people just for a little laugh. He never wanted to hurt anyone.

"Ben?" He snapped his head up, Nick and Holly in the doorway. Nicholas glanced at his sister and allowed her inside.

"Do you mind if I watch you?" Holly asked. Bram gestured to the chair beside the sewing table, to which Holly obligingly took. Nick had made his way down the hall, and the two were left alone.

"It's autumn now," Holly said. "I finally got to see a real sunset." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He darted his gaze over to her, grinning briefly before returning to his work. "What were the autumn leaves like?"

Bram's work came to an abrupt halt. What was she doing? "Um...they were dry, and light, and very colorful. Not colorful like this place, but red, and orange, and yellow. I used to enjoy playing by the trees to catch them with my dog."

Holly smiled sweetly. "And, what about Halloween?"

A lump formed in his throat. She was on to him alright. It was almost scary how clever she was, but he was trying his best to mask her advances.

"Well, it was Halloween. Trick-or-treaters, candy, parties, decorations, the Undersea Gal in a bikini, bobbing for apples - "

"Undersea what?"

He'd said to much. "Just what we call the lady at the end of the well - HILL! Hill. At the end of the hill." She looked at him as if to say _'how stupid do you think I am?_ '. "It was always crazy around that time of year. We were very enthusiastic about it. Last year, I dressed up as Killer Sandy Claws."

Her eyebrows shot up. They then flattened in thought. "I hope you didn't lose any fingers."

Bram shrugged. "I always have some extra thread handy."

She jumped from her seat. "I knew it!"

Bram stumbled from his chair, alarmed at her harsh tone. "W-What?"

"Stop denying it. I know who you really are," she claimed.

She had figured it out! _Numbskull! Numbskull!_ Sandy Claws, losing fingers, the Undersea Gal in a bikini! It was blatantly obvious! Oh, what was she going to do? Slap him across the face and throw him from the window? She marched closer to him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact. He was instead met by a warm hug.

"I missed you, Bram."

 **Thank you, readers. And special thx to my one fav. I'm going to be going on hiatus for the next week and a half or so. Ima goin' on a cruise! I shall return though! Thanks, and I love you. ;)**


	12. Oops

**I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! Just got back from Mexico and Belize! I got sunbaked on my face and shoulders, and that was fun! I wasn't able to do a lot of writing though. Well, I am no longer on hiatus. So...Here. We. Go.**

 **Word of warning: Things get heavy, and oddly sexual in this one. So, slight hints of T ratings.**

Chapter 12:

Bram was frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Holly had just proved his true identity, and instead of smacking him senseless...she was hugging him. He never really thought she meant what she said back at the auditorium, but the tears soaking through his shirt were enough to convince him now. He impulsively threw his arms around her waist, burying his head into her neck. Neither heard what the other said, but both uttered a trembling apology.

"What did you say?" Holly asked.

"I'm so, _so_ sorry, Holly. I...I just wanted you to like me, and tell you that I'm not my father. I didn't mean to keep secrets from you, and I didn't want our Holiday pasts to interfere with...with what we had."

"You know I forgive you. I have to admit, I was quite shocked when I found out who your parents were. But, I was only angry because I thought you were taking advantage of me. I see that everything I did was of my own accord, and we were both being brash. _I'm_ sorry."

The situation was beginning to process in his head, all making sense. He supposed the situation was a bit awkward at the time, and neither of them knew what was going on between them. But, it felt good to finally apologize to her, to talk to her, to really be himself with Holly. He tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Maybe we both should just be glad that we don't have to keep any more secrets from each other."

Holly nodded, but stepped back. "I still don't understand. How are you like... _this?_ What happened to your yarn hair and stitches."

Bram sighed. "I knew that I couldn't bear to show my face in Halloween Town again, and I would never be trusted here. So...I made a deal with Oogie Boogie."

"You WHAT?!" Holly screeched so high, it was more of an adorable squeak. "Oogie Boogie is a monster, Bram. What did you trade with him?"

"A song."

She raised one eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"I know. It sounded reasonable at the time."

"Bram," her voice was serious. "My father knows what Oogie Boogie is capable of. He doesn't play fair, and who knows what could happen if he got a hold of Halloween, or worse."

He looked down at his hand. "What did he do with my skin?" Anger was rising in his voice. If Oogie had taken his skin, who's to say that he wasn't prancing around in it, doing terrible things to his parents and friends.

"Holly, we need to get to Halloween Town."

* * *

The sun was barely over the horizon, and Sally was less worried, more suspicious. Bram had told her where he had gone, but he'd been gone all night. He had been acting rather strangely. He barely touched his music anymore. All that paper and ink was used to devise plans for Halloween. Never did he talk about taking a break to his organ. And, above all, since when did Bram have green eyes?

She turned over in her bed, Jack still sleeping soundly. She decided not to wake him as she carefully slid out of bed, taking his empty teacup with her. She set the cup in the kitchen.

 _It's still early,_ she decided. _Might as well make myself some tea._

She prepared the tea, stirring the unusually heavy teabag into warm water. Her mind was far from the tea, however. Bram wasn't being anything like himself. Had that outburst affected him so much that he...reverted back to the Halloween spirit? It sounded so ridiculous; it didn't seem plausib -

 _This tea takes disgusting!_ She had already drunken half the cup and she just noticed its bitter taste. She leaned into it to smell it. Frog's Breath! Frog's Breath overpowers any odor, even Deadly Nightshade.

"Oh, jeez! JACK!" She dashed back up the stairs, hoping Jack hadn't suffered the same. Her vision was beginning to blur, and her eyelids were growing heavier. She flung the door open, but only took one glimpse to see Jack was gone before falling to the floor.

"What's happening?"

"I dunno!"

"Look out, see what just happened."

Three heads popped out of the closet, staring at Sally's unconscious body. Shock pushed the door open further, Lock carrying the other two on his shoulders. He struggled to gain proper footing, much to the annoyance of Shock and Barrel. Shock finally jumped from Lock's shoulders, tossing Barrel from her own. Lock took a piece of wood from the wall and cautiously poked Sally's shoulder.

"Yep, she's out cold."

Shock pulled the burlap sack from the closet. "Okay, put her in."

"I'm not touching a lady!" Lock argued.

Shock looked to Barrel. "You know I have Opposite Sex-based anxiety!"

"You don't even know what that means!" Shock groaned. "I gotta do everything around here!"

She set the bag on the floor, slowly inching its way down her red hair.

"You guys got Jack?"

The two boys nodded. "He's in the tub."

"He shoulda been at the lair by now!"

"Hey! Do you know how long it took us to get those legs into the bath?" Lock complained.

Barrel rubbed his cheeks. "I still have bruises."

Shock finally finished containing Sally and tied a rope at the opening. "Oh, cry me a river. Let's get outta here before someone notices!"

"What about Bram?" Barrel trembled.

"Oogie Boogie is taking care of him."

* * *

Bram held tightly to Holly's wrist, running through the forest at speeds he never knew he could reach. Every once in a while, he would slow to grab a better hold of her wrist before starting back on the run again. The Holiday Doors were nearly in view. They just had to go a bit further...

Bram came to an abrupt halt, Holly falling flimsily to the ground. He went to pick her back up, but she was just as in shock as she was. She was three inches in front of him, at his poorly-styled shoes. A black suit with purple pinstripes covered the stark-white skin, a black-cat bowtie spread proudly over his chest, but it was all overshadowed by the luminous green eyes.

"B-Bram?" Holly shivered.

"Oh, my God! I'm...I'm...wearing a suit!"

Bram's body marched forward, swiveling his shoulders.

"Oh, you don't like the gambling look?" He shrugged. "Well, too bad it's not you anymore." He posed. "It's me!"

Bram groaned in disgust. His body knelt down to pick up Holly by the chin. Bram rushed over, pulling her away. "Don't you touch her!"

Bram's body shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. I expected more from you, Bram. You should be thanking me."

"Thanking you?!" Holly spat. "You stole his body, impersonated him for a month, and now he doesn't know what you're doing with his family!"

"And you dressed me like a lawyer!" Bram added.

"This is what _you_ wanted, Prince. Don't blame me." A bug crawled out from the seam in his body's wrist.

"What have you done with my parents?!" Bram demanded.

A swarm of bugs began to surround Bram's body. "They're none of your concern anymore. They've decided to take a nap for a while."

Bram clenched his fists, preparing to jump and attack the thief in his body. Holly held his chest. "Give them back! Give them back, or I'll kill you!"

Oogie's oddly serene look turned into a terrifying look of warning. Swarms of bugs poured in from every angle, surrounding the three. Bram held Holly close as Oogie commanded the cursed insects. They crawled up the couple's legs, trying to pry them apart. Bram tried desperately to hold onto Holly as long as he could, but her grip slipped, and she was thrust into Oogie's arms.

"Bram!" she called desperately. Oogie traced Holly's face lightly with his fingers, running them through her hair. She flinched away from him every time.

"Don't be like that, baby," Oogie purred to her.

"Let her go!"

Oogie turned back to Bram. "Oh. You're still here?" He pushed Holly away from him, a new swarm of bugs taking hold of her. "If Christmas is so much better than Halloween, then maybe you should take a look at the _other_ Holidays."

The bugs whirled Bram around to the Green Flower Door. He struggled against the hold, trying to keep his eyes on Holly. He could only manage a glimpse of her falling through the Heart Door before he tumbled down through his own.


	13. A Curious Cast of Characters

Chapter 13:

Bram screamed for Holly as he fell into the swirling void of darkness. His vision was clouded with sparks and colors. His stomach lurched as he was hoisted up and over, into a beautiful blue sky filled with clouds. His stomach dropped as he plummeted down the slab of seven colors, quickly approaching the ground. This time, instead of white snow, a small speck was coming into view. Bram could barely brace himself before being hit with a wave of metal and gold. He landed hard on a patch of green grass, pieces of gold scattered about.

He groaned before he sat up, rubbing his head. This body sure gave him a better experience of pain. His head was killing him! A small yell shattered his thoughts. A small man, barely taller than a baby pumpkin, was running around frantically, a large green hat pulled over his eyes. Bram rushed over to help the small man, picking him up by his hat to shake him out. He fell to the ground, Bram gently placing his hat back on his head.

"Sorry about that," Bram said.

"Yeah, yer sorry!" the small man shouted. "Look what ye did! It'll take me months to get this back in order!"

Bram raised an eyebrow, pointing back to a full cauldron of gold as if it were never knocked over.

"Ye see? Months!"

Bram rolled his eyes. "Listen, little man."

"It be Arthur to ye!"

"Gesundhuit. Please hear me out. What is this place? Where am I? How do I get back to the Holiday Doors?"

"Ye should've thought of that when ye fell in here."

"I didn't fall. I was pushed in!"

Arthur scoffed. "Oh, what a lie!"

Bram grabbed the little man by the throat, his hand wrapping all the way around. "Listen, tiny! I don't have time for this! I need to find Holly!"

The man writhed against his tight grip, and Bram reluctantly set him free. Arthur put up his fists and began beating Bram wildly with his cane. Bram just stared down at him, giving up. He picked him up with two fingers by his shirt collar and held him up to his face.

"Don't do that, man." Arthur crossed his little arms. "Look, I want to be here as much as you want me to be here. But, please, just help me find the way back to the Holiday Doors!"

"Er what? What are ye gonna do?"

"Something terrible could happen if I don't get back to Halloween Town. If I don't get back, find Holly Claws, and save my parents, _all_ Holidays could be in danger!"

"What do ye know about Holidays? Who are ye?"

Bram sighed. "Bram Skellington, the Pumpkin Prince."

* * *

Holly rubbed her head. What had just happened? And where was...

"Bram!"

She quickly rose to her feet, shaking a few roses from her red coat. She was standing in a garden of rosebushes, the sky a sunset pink. Was it morning, or was it dusk? She couldn't tell. It didn't matter! She needed to find Bram. She took a few tentative steps forward. This was Valentine's Day Town, she could easily tell. What with the roses and the forever-dawned sky. She had come here many times to learn how to make chocolate with...

 _Maybe she forgot,_ she thought, marching up to the ivory gates. As soon as she pushed the gates forward, violin and piano music poured into the air. The scent of chocolate made her mouth water. The streets were almost empty, which made Holly wonder again what time it was. Her face fell into a look of determination, focusing on the situation. She walked as casually as she could down the street to a small candy shop called _Carysa_ _'s Sweet Shoppe,_ stood outside for a moment, and slowly pushed the door open.

The bell dinged as Holly stepped inside. The shop was stacked with chocolate hearts, chocolate boxes, chocolate roses, chocolate-covered strawberries, and candied hearts, but was empty of any living entity.

"Hello?" Holly called, tapping the bell on the desk. Footsteps hurried from the back, a young woman's voice calling out as she rounded the corner.

"Hold on! I'm coming! What can I do for y - "

She stopped, gazing wide-eyed at the girl in Yuletide attire. Holly smiled sheepishly, waving.

"Hi, Carysa..." Holly laughed nervously. She was met with a hand to her cheek before she could continue. She rubbed her stinging cheek as she looked back at an angry Carysa, her eyes red and her fists shaking. "I know. I deserved that."

"You got some nerve, Holly Claus! You think you can just prance right back in here after you left me at the chocolate altar?! You knew how much that Valentine's Day meant to me, and you shot me a lead arrow!"

Holly sighed. "I know, I know. I was a total nutcracker, and I'm so sorry about that night. But, I need your help."

Carysa whirled around, her long red hair flying into Holly's face. "I don't know if you've noticed, Holly, but I'm making a decent living without you. I've got my own candy shop. While you've been licking peppermint, I've made myself a legend here."

"Then, how come no one is here right now?"

"Um, doi! I just opened the place. Customers won't be in for another hour. Which reminds me..." Carysa took Holly by her shoulders and turned her towards the door. "If you aren't going to buy anything, get out!" She harshly pushed Holly towards the door.

Holly dug her heals into the rustic, wooden floor, determined to explain herself. "Please, Carysa. I need your help. You know I can't find the way out of Valentine's Day Town without you, and I need to find my friend. He could be seriously hurt."

Carysa's face softened the slightest bit. She released Holly's shoulders and went to lean against the counter.

"Carysa?"

"It's hard, Holly. Okay? I'm really trying to hate you right now, because it should be easy. But, I can't help but miss you, and I can't move on, no matter how hard I try."

Holly approached Carysa slowly, setting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She gingerly reached up to hold it, her trembling hands squeezing it lightly. She ducked her hair over her face to hide her pained expression.

"Carysa...Will you help me?"

Carysa rubbed her tearstained eyes and motioned towards the back. Holly followed as Carysa led her upstairs.

* * *

Bram had retired to the stream near the pot of gold he landed on earlier. Three hours, the leprechaun had been rambling. Three hours! Surprisingly, though, he could barely hear it. His focus was on everything he'd ever done to cause this: His selfish desires, meeting Holly, his deception towards Holly, his stupid decision to trade with Oogie Boogie, and impersonating a choir director who didn't even know the Holiday he was living in.

 _Stupid, scary skeleton!_ he scolded himself. _Stupid, scary skeleton._

He caught his reflection in the water. He was so handsome, so human. But he wasn't Bram. He angrily slapped the reflection away, making sure to cloud the water so it wouldn't reappear. After a moment, it did. And Bram, so in despair, hid his face in his knees.

"Ye feelin' racked, lad?"

Bram peeked to find Arthur standing beside him. He said nothing, as resumed the tight hold on his knees. He felt small feet and hands shimmy up his legs and stand on his kneecaps. A small stick tapped his head.

"Come on, Rawny. What's bugging ye?"

Bram sighed and flicked Arthur from his legs, grumbling, "It's none of your business. And it doesn't matter anyway. My parents are going to die. Holly's going to die. _I'm_ going to die out here. And it's all my fault..."

The little man stared at the young boy with interest, almost feeling bad for him. Almost.

"Over the rainbow."

Bram blinked, then looked down at the leprechaun. "What?"

"Ye know how ye find the gold at the end of the rainbow? Well, to get to the doors, ye have to go to the _beginning_ of the rainbow. It only makes sense."

Bram stood up, kneeling down to Arthur's eye level. "Could you take me there?"

"Maybe..." He put up his fists. "But ye'll have to fight me first." He charged at Bram, smacking his legs repeatedly until Bram picked him up again.

"Why don't we save ourselves _both_ the trouble and you just take me to the door?"


	14. Awkwardness

Chapter 14:

Bram slid down the slick surface yet again as he attempted to hoist himself over the rainbow. Arthur was flipping a gold piece in his hand, bored over seeing Bram try for...he'd lost count. Bram jumped, scrambling up from a solid second before he fell back to earth, the air knocked from his lungs. He clutched his chest as he laid on his back, Arthur just staring at him.

"Finished now, chap?"

"Oh, shut your trap," Bram groaned. "This is getting me nowhere!"

Arthur hopped onto Bram's chest. "Ye're doin' it wrong."

Bram sat up, letting the leprechaun slide down his stomach. He hopped onto his knees, propping himself up on his tiny cane. "Ye know how rainbows are made, rawny?"

"Reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in moisture in the atmosphere?" He had no idea what he'd just said, but it sounded scientific enough. Arthur laughed, wiping away a fake tear.

"O'course not, lad! Rainbows are the sky's way of saying 'hello, there. I'm a happy man.' Ye know what I'm sayin', boy-o?" Bram stared at him blankly. Arthur groaned. "Ye can only go up a rainbow if ye're feelin' true happiness. And, at the time, ye're doing _greeeeeaaaat_."

"You know, you are not helping here. I'm very bummed out, and it's not like you could do any better, given how cranky you are."

To his surprise, Bram heard Arthur sigh.

"That be true, lad. The truth is, and 'tis a sad tale, me wife is lost. Went to fetch milk and never returned."

Bram blinked, biting his lip uncomfortably. Not sure what to do exactly, he reached out to pat the leprechaun's shoulder with his finger. Arthur sniffled.

"But, I've been waitin' for her. Today may be the day!" He stared off in a far off direction for a moment before tearing up. Bram followed his gaze and only found a small, thin tree.

"Fiona?" Arthur trembled. "Is that you? Ye came back from the store!" He ran to the tree and proceeded to hug it vehemently, kissing it repeatedly. Bram could only stare at the scene, unable to look away, and just taking in how completely pathetic it really was. The man was hugging a tree, for Jack's sake!

He cleared his throat. "Um, Arthur?"

Arthur opened his eyes in realization and cleared his own throat, releasing the poor tree. He ran up to the rainbow, leaning against it.

"Well, then. Give it a go, lad."

Bram blinked, trudging up to the rainbow. He pressed his back up against the colorful surface, noting how hard and solid it was. He glanced at Arthur, who was smiling and looking oddly at peace. Bram closed his eyes, trying to remember something that made him happy. His dad on Halloween? No, he ran away from that. His mom? No, the look on her face if she found him... The pipe organ? No, he'd never be able to play it again. He sighed, frustrated.

 _Think, Bram! Think! What would Holly do?_

Holly. Holly Claws. The girl who really made an effort to understand him. The first person willing to reach out and accept that he was different. She was smart, and sweet, and _beautiful_. He hoped she was okay, knowing it was another Holiday she was trapped in.

"Rawny?"

Bram opened his eyes to find himself flying over the stream of colors, the clouds swimming below him over the green pastures. He smiled widely. He felt like, well, flying. He'd finally find his way back to Holly.

 _I wish Holly could see this,_ he thought. _She'd say something gorgeous like..._

* * *

"I don't have time for this ribbon-wrapping!"

Holly was growing more anxious by the second, trying to get some information out of her former friend, but Carysa's emotional state was deteriorating. One minute angry, the next sad, the next just plain indifferent. Now, she was simply stuffing her face with chocolate hearts. Holly had tried everything to convince Carysa to give her a map, or a compass, or a guide to the door something!

"Carysa, get a hold of yourself." She set her hands on her friend's shoulders, squeezing them gently. "You could always find the door before. How is this any different?"

Carysa knitted her eyebrows, confused. "Holly, I was always able to find the way back. But, it's not as simply as with Halloween or Christmas."

"Oh, it's the confusing door-finding system," Holly moaned.

"Will you let me finish?" Carysa snapped. "Because the humans see Halloween and Christmas as the 'main holidays' - _whoever came up with that is a sick joke -_ if you live there, you can just hop, skip, and run right to the doors. The others are a bit more complicated. They all tie to the certain emotional connection to be able to return to the Doors. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. So?" Holly probed.

Carysa sighed. "To find the way back to the Doors from here, you have to feel love for someone. A deep love. That's how I always found my way." She glanced up at Holly, guilt in her eyes. Holly knew how Carysa felt about her, and she really like her. But, Carysa was not close enough to really be a deep love. That Valentine's Day, she never meant to hurt her, but she had to tell her that she was being too forward. She hadn't meant to run away from her, or make her run through the rosebush maze, or push her under a bucket of molten chocolate. She was afraid and didn't know how to apologize.

"I know you can find it, Holly."

Holly's eyebrows shot up. "C-Carysa. You know that I - "

"I know. I know you don't see me like that. But, he's very special to you, isn't he?"

Holly took a partial step back. "What are you talking about?"

"It's easy to see the signs if you know what you're looking for. The flushed cheeks, the dreamy eyes, the ditzy attitude with a hint of anxiety. You should know this by now that I can tell when someone is in love."

Holly blushed profusely, taken aback that Carysa would assume such a thing. Yes, Bram was talented, and funny, and had a somewhat dark sense of humor, but how could she be in love with him? Her father would rip out his stuffing if he found out!

"Please don't tell anyone!" she cried.

Carysa blinked, surprised. "Why not?" Her face twisted into a suspicious glare. "Why not, Holly?"

"He's...He's from Halloween Town." Carysa's jaw dropped. "Jack Skellington's son."

Carysa inhaled deeply and put her hands on Holly's shoulders seriously. "Holly, what I am about to say, I will be saying out of love...You have to ditch him."

Holly shoved her away from her. "How is that out of love?! He's not like the others. He's...different." Holly retreated to her thoughts for a moment. Carysa had had certain... _feelings_ towards Holly herself. Could this...?

She shot her a look. "And how can I be sure this isn't out of jealousy?"

"Holly-Bell..."

"Don't. Call me that."

"I'll always be your friend, but I'm saying this because I don't want you getting hurt. You don't know how those Halloween ones are."

"No, I don't," Holly admitted. "And that almost caused me to lose him. Please, Cary-Wings. I'm asking you as a friend."

Carysa crossed her arms, holding her breath. Holly gazed to her, her eyes wide and soulful. She tried looking away, cringing. "Oh...Aw, with the face, and the eyes...FINE! I'll help you find your stupid prince."

Holly threw her arms around the chocolate seller, though pulling away quickly so as not to make the situation awkward. She took Carysa by the wrist, pulling her downstairs. A line of customers were already in line. Carysa stopped for a second, panicking slightly at the clamored people. She ran to the back and dragged with her a tiny little delivery boy, hoisting him onto the counter.

"Little Tino, the store is in your hands now." She kissed his forehead before Holly took her once again and dragged her out of the store. Tino looked back at the crowd.

"Oh, how I have waited for this day!" he breathed, pulling a bow and arrow from his pocket.


	15. Return to Halloween Town

**Hello, peoples! Thx for all the encouragement, and I really appreciate the positive feedback. Also, the timeline is starting to be a bit confusing, so I'm going back to Chapter 11 and changing "five days" to "five weeks" so I can set the stage in the time I'm envisioning. This means there's only 3 and a half days until Halloween. Now, here be 15! Enjoy!**

Chapter 15:

The ground was quickly approaching Bram. He prepared this time, turning his head up and pulling his legs to his chest. He could feel himself falling faster, the wind sharp in his face. He braced for impact, ready for the force of the ground to -

"Eh, Rawny!"

Bram opened his eyes to find Arthur spinning next him, having the time of his life. "Arthur?!" The ground met him with an unhappy welcome, sending both men tumbling down the meadow and into the pine forest.

* * *

Holly stood at the edge of the rose maze, not sure what to do exactly. Carysa motioned her forward, the red mixing with white. Holly took a few cautious steps into the maze.

 _Bram. Remember Bram,_ she told herself. She kept her journey forwards, then, by pure instinct, she took a right. More instinctive paths came, and she realized she was no longer in control. Her feet were guided based on her heart, what she felt was right. She took Carysa by her arm and pulled her along as she broke into a run. The white roses darkened into red as she ran, turning the corner, until...a gazebo white as ivory stood in front of her.

"What?" She let go of Carysa's hand. "This isn't right. This should lead to the door."

Carysa stepped into the gazebo and shrugged. Holly stepped inside as well, leaning against a post. How could it have been wrong? Perhaps she didn't truly love Bram after all. She worried for him though, wanting to know where he was and if he was safe. She wished him the best and wanted his happiness.

"What would Bram do?" she whispered to herself, and the floor left her feet.

* * *

Bram cried in pain at every impact he made. Arthur tumbled beside him, almost quacking like a duck to express his pain. He would've laughed, but he really wished to stop rolling down the hill through the forest. Occasionally, he'd stop along a tree, but he'd slide away to resume the descent. He finally stopped over a sideways tree a few inches over the canopy. Arthur landed beside him, his cane stuck in his jacket. Bram looked up, relieved to have finally stopped. He and Arthur turned to each other, laughing, before a crack startled them both. The tree creaked, leaning into the canopy.

"Oh, crap," Bram said before the tree broke free of the cliff, hurdling towards the trees below. The two held to each other, screaming. The trunk crashed through the leafy surface, the black earth ready to greet them. The tree finally smashed, sending them tumbling once again towards a circle of seven identical trees. At the same moment, two young women landed gracefully just behind the Doors. Holly giggled, stepping into the circle.

"That wasn't so bad."

Before Carysa could warn her, the boy and leprechaun crashed into the two ladies. The pumpkin door swung open, letting in the four strange characters.

* * *

Bram groaned, his stomach churning unpleasantly. He picked the autumn leaves from his hair, feeling dry, black earth beneath him. He glanced up, finding himself on top of a hill overlooking a barren landscape filled with tombstones.

"I'm back," he whispered. "I'M BA - " His stomach heaved as he tried to stand up, pulling him to his knees. His throat clenched, his stomach twisting. He leaned over the side of the hill and threw up. By the time he finished, he was shaking, disgusted by this new body.

"Bram, are you okay?" Holly's sweet voice shattered his thoughts. She put her hands on his shoulders, and he turned around to hug her.

"I think I hate this human body," he said, his voice raspy. She giggled. He suddenly started looking over the side, searching for the leprechaun that decided to accompany him. Holly followed his lead, though he was sure she did not know Arthur. A shriek pierced the chilly air, which, to Bram, wasn't a surprise. But Holly ran to the spiral of Spiral Hill and reach over the edge. Bram joined her, spotting the redheaded girl immediately. She was kicking and flailing, holding onto the spiral for dear life.

"A little help, please?!"

Bram stomped his foot against the Hill, answered with the spiral unravelling and turning upward to set the girl on her feet.

"Thanks, Skellington," she said.

"And you are...?"

"Oh!" Holly cut in. "Bram, this is Carysa. She's my, um...friend."

Carysa shot Holly a look that, if she were a gorgon, would've turned her to stone. What kind of history could they have had? Wait...their team was still short.

He turned and scrambled down the hill, stepping over the pumpkins. "Arthur? Arthur!"

He finally found the man upside down inside a pumpkin, very unhappy. Bram took his tiny feet and lifted him, and the pumpkin, from the ground. The pumpkin slid from Arthur, falling the ground with a sickening squish. Arthur was left with pumpkin guts and an adorable angry face.

"I hate this place..." he growled.

"Yeah, yeah. We don't have time for this!" Bram dropped him, Arthur letting out a slight yelp. Holly and Carysa jumped from the hill to where they were standing, staring at the scene in amusement. "Girls, this is Arthur. He's a small man from...What was it?"

"St. Patrick's Day Town."

"Yeah, that."

Arthur caught eyes with Carysa, and he was locked. He tugged at Bram's pant leg.

"Who be that vision of beauty?"

Holly shook her head at the leprechaun. "Oh, no. You don't want to go there."

Arthur knitted his red eyebrows. "What?"

Bram turned his gaze to the cemetery gate, creaking in the autumn wind. He started towards it. "Let's go. Now!"

The three followed Bram to the gate, the town just in sight.

"We're going in there?" Carysa asked. Bram nodded. "What if we get eaten, or drained of our blood, or disemboweled and made into pie?!"

Bram scowled at Carysa, angry that she would assume something so absurd. "Who told you that?! The Grim Reaper?"

The clock in town chimed five. It was October 27th, three and a half more days until Halloween...and until Oogie Boogie takes over. The town gate was in sight, just a few yards ahead of them, making it easy to reach town. Getting in would be easy, but getting around would be much harder. Bram knew the town well, so if he could sneak out, he could sneak back in, right?

"Here's what we do. I go to the gate, make sure no one is there. Once it's safe, we make a break for the catacombs. Got it?"

Holly nodded readily. Arthur shrugged. Holly nudged Carysa before she finally gave a thumbs-up. Bram nodded and crept over to the wall of the town. He peeked through the bars, spotting the drainage system leading into the catacombs. The area was usually clear except for...

 _Dang it, guys!_ The street musicians were always on that corner, playing the same old song. Their cup was on the ground, willing to take some alms. Bram pulled a coin from his pocket and flipped it towards the zombies. The glitter of metal quickly caught their attention, and soon enough they were scrambling after it. Bram motioned for his friends to come as he slipped through the bars of the gate, followed by the remaining three. He lifted the sewer grate, letting Holly and Arthur jump in. He ended up pushing Carysa in before shutting the grate on himself.


	16. A Dish Best Served Rotten

Chapter 16:

Bram clenched his jaw, balled his fleshy hands into fists, tensed his shoulders. He was trying to hold in all anger. At what?

Carysa.

The complaining of the sewers was what got the chagrin started. Holly was privileged with earmuffs. Arthur had pulled his hat over his head, sleeping on Bram's head. Bram was left with nothing but the splashing to drown the Valentine girl out. Or drown her in general.

 _Pfft..._ he scoffed internally. _I wish._

It escalated to things Bram never would have thought possible. Holly and Arthur couldn't hear the conversation, and Bram was the only one who could see in the dark, so the others were literally blind to the scenario.

"You know, Bonehead, I'm surprised Holly fell for...well, you."

Bram whipped his head around, though Carysa couldn't see it. "What are you talking about?"

"Holly's a sweet girl, Brammy. But, if she really understood the gravity of the situation, she wouldn't be here right now."

"Hex, she understands!" Bram argued. "And that's why she's here!"

"She's helping the son of the Holiday Stealer. What kind of person do you hope to make her? What kind of person does that make you?!"

Bram whipped around, catching Carysa with her forearm in one hand and her mouth in the other.

"Listen, Carysa. I don't want Holly in danger. I never asked for her to be a part of this. I never asked for _you_ to be part of this! But, bad things are going to happen to my holiday, to your holiday, and to all the other holidays if we don't take down the boogeyman who stole my real body. I could lose my family! Do you understand?! I could lose everything because I made a stupid mistake! And, now it's time for me to fix it.

Regretfully, he removed his hand from her mouth and took Holly's arm, leading her down the chamber. Carysa grabbed hold of Holly's other arm.

"You're still the son of Jack Skellington."

"I know!" Bram snapped. "But, I'm nothing like my father!"

"Says the guy who ran away from home, landed in Christmas, and is now causing chaos."

Bram had had enough. He picked up Holly bridal style and ran off further into the darkness, leaving Carysa behind. Holly removed her earmuffs.

"Bram, what just happened? Where's Carysa?"

"She can catch up with us!" he growled, trying to keep his temper under control.

"Bram, stop. Put me down." He continued forward. "Put me down right now and stop, Bram!"

The sharpness of her tone stunned him, allowing her to slip out of his arms. She stood in front of him, angry.

"What in Santa Claus Lane just happened?!"

"She started it!"

"Bram!" she scolded. "Don't act like a child. Tell me what happened, or I won't budge."

Bram huffed. "That cursed, apple-bobbing Carysa! Why does she have to assume that I'm just like my dad?! What does she have against me?!"

"Nothing. She's just scared, and nervous. After what happened with Jack, the other Holidays have been pretty paranoid. There've been rumors in some, but I had no idea Carysa would fall for that. She's usually very friendly to everyone, even those from different Holiday worlds. She'll come around, I promise."

"Why do you defend her, Holly?" This was a sincere question, not out of anger or disbelief. He simply wanted to know.

Holly sighed. "She's my god-sister. She really cares about me, Bram. I only see her as a friend now, but underneath that brittle wrapping is a chocolate heart of gold."

Bram tried with all his will not to listen to Holly. But, it was Holly. He had to take what she said to heart, even if Carysa was a bite in the neck.

"Oh...fine! I'll go back for Carysa." He picked Arthur from his head and dropped him into the hood of Holly's jacket. He started back down the chamber before Holly could ask what he'd dropped in her hood. Carysa was less than a few meters from him, and he had no pleasure in going to guide her with him. But, if she meant so much to Holly...

"Carysa."

"Skellington!"

He grabbed her arm. "I came back to get you."

"Yeah, you made the right choice, Numbskull. Maybe you aren't as clingy as I am, but you have potential."

"And I immediately regret it."

Carysa huffed. "Yeah, yeah. Listen, Bone-Brain. If Holly's doing this for you, you better not put her in danger. Because, trust me, she means that much to me as much as she means to you! And, I know how you feel about her."

Bram blinked in surprise, but slung her over his shoulder without another word. He was exhausted of this game, but it would be worth it once he'd get his body back. And find a light.

 _Seriously now. Where is that light?_

"Bram!" Holly's voice echoed in the chamber. "I think I found something!"

Bram hurried down the corridor, light seeping from underneath a stone door at the end. He set Carysa down and put his hands to the door. When he found that the door was now too heavy for him, he felt Holly's hand on his own, pushing the door with him. His new heart raced, pounding. Carysa said that Holly...fell for him. Fell for him how? Not in love! That was certain. She would never!

The door finally gave, and dim light met their eyes. Bram stepped into the large, open cave he'd spent so many nights in. The organ, usually dusty, was now brittle and covered in thick cobwebs. The sheet music he'd brought was either stained, ruined, crumbled, or dusty. The candy bar was more or less the same. He stepped up to the organ, waving away the spiders that decided to move in.

"Go on, now. Shoo."

"But, I just got a fly! It was a juicy one too," the little spider squeaked.

"You can get it after you leave, now get out of here!"

The spider scuttled away, leaving Bram to wipe away the cobwebs. It had been so long since he'd played his organ. He lightly tapped one of the keys, his hands then flying to his ears at the sound. He remembered when it was graceful and powerful and crisp. Now, it was loud and blaring and ringing in his human ears. Holly moved next to him.

"So, this is your organ?"

Bram nodded. "Found it when I was 756 and bought it from Eric."

"The Phantom?" Holly asked excitedly.

"No, the Swamp Man. It was rusty and broken, so I fixed it up. I've been playing and writing music ever since."

"Is that what these are?" Arthur asked, he and Carysa over by the bookcases of paper and sheet music. "I thought these were ye drawin's of weasels in me mother's undergarments."

Bram marched over there and snatched the sheet from Arthur's tiny hands. "Those 'Weasels in Mom's Underwear" is 'Rhapsody of the Mummy's Tomb'. I wrote this one recently."

He carefully set it in its place, marching over to relieve himself at the candy bar. He took some candy corn.

"Still chewable."

"Bram, are you okay?" Holly asked.

"No."

"You have a plan, don't you?"

"Not really," he admitted. "To be honest, I didn't really think I'd make it this far."

Carysa face-palmed herself, Holly biting her lip nervously. Arthur wasn't paying that mush attention, hugging a column by the tunnel. Everyone looked in his direction as he ranted over the column.

"Who's he talking to?" Holly whispered.

Bram could bring himself to tell her, not wanting to break the fragile leprechaun's heart. "Let's admire Arthur's...love of architecture."

They continued to stare at him for a good ten minutes before Carysa pulled them to the opposite wall. Holly shuddered.

"That poor man."

"We can worry about Artie's weird love life issues later," Carysa decided. "Bone-Breath, what do we do?"

Bram frowned in deep thought. It was without a doubt Oogie had already gotten to his parents, and the entire town was there to worship him. He'd never be able to get to Oogie directly. He needed his parents. He needed some inside assistance.

"Three words: Lock. Shock. Barrel."


	17. Talk!

**If this could be filler, then it probably is. I'm sorry. I could really use some suggestions if you guys have any. My story probably goes along the lines of Bram rummaging through his old room, Holly follows him, and things happen. I'm still keeping the sad tree joke, just as a side note. Please share your thoughts and write some suggestions. Thx!**

Chapter 17:

Lock gasped for air, Shock close on his tail. Barrel was hauling the tub along with him, filled with bags. The three marched around the square, setting up bags and dumping the contents into crates hidden from public view. Once Lock's bag was emptied, he collapsed.

"Oh, thank Jack that's over."

"Hate to break it to you, Chicken Legs," Shock said. "But we aren't even close to being done."

Barrel glanced up from the box he was laying on. "How many more corners do we have to set up?"

"Two."

They all moaned, Lock falling on his face to cry. Shock sighed, threw her empty sack into the bath and dragged Lock by his tail to the other side of the courtyard.

"Barrel, take this bag and empty it up on the other side of the square." Shock took the other bag from the bath and forced Lock's hands to grasp it as she dragged him across the stone.

Barrel groaned and kicked the bathtub to get it moving. Shock hauled Lock across the cobbled street, a dead "ow!" coming every once in a while. She finally dropped him by the crate. She snatched the bag from him, untied it, and tossed it into the crate before closing it. The box gave a few sudden jerks before she silenced it with a fist to the lid.

"Why is this so hard?" Lock groaned. "Wanna go play demon at a kid's slumber party?"

Shock rolled her eyes. "That's your idea of fun? That's sissy work!"

"Why do you say that? Your uncle's second-cousin's brother's cellmate is Pazuzu."

"Pazuzu doesn't hang out at kid's slumber parties. Unless, he's, you know, really bored. You shouldn't say that stuff about him. You know what he does?"

Lock didn't look up, but asked what. Shock took a dead tree branch and lightly touched him. "He GETS ya!"

"Very funny, Shock."

Shock grumbled and cast the stick away, leaning against the crate.

"Stop doing that, Shock!"

"I didn't do no - " She stopped as a hand covered her mouth, pulling her into the shadows. Lock was screaming then, digging his fingers into the stone as another figure was yanking at his tail. Yelling from the other side of the courtyard signaled that Barrel was being abducted as well. Lock dared to look back at his captor, noting the tall outline it the shadows.

"I didn't mean to call you meatloaf, Pazuzu!" Lock screamed before being dragged away.

* * *

When the three found each other again, they were underground in a dank, musty chamber they'd never witnessed. They finally came into the dim-ish light to find a huge organ, shelves, and a candy bar. Shock was the first to look up at her captor, her face a look of disgust and confusion.

"What the? You're that fleshy thing!"

Bram dropped Shock, furious. "Wow, Shock. Just, wow."

Holly came into view, dropping Lock next to her. "W-What's going on here?! Who are you people?!"

"Don't you recognize your prince?" Bram asked.

"Bram?" The two said in unison. A cleared throat ruined the moment, an annoyed Carysa trawling a very clingy Barrel on her leg.

"Is this yours?" she asked, shaking the boy from her. He rolled into the other two. Carysa shuddered. "I have seen things I can never unsee."

Holly approached her. "What have you seen?"

"I've seen the beast gorging on a thousand lambs in the darkness of his lair."

Bram rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! We've all seen the Mayor kissing that cardboard cut-out of my dad before."

The girls and leprechaun winced, making the four Halloween citizens laugh. Barrel was rolling around on the floor from laughing until he began coughing. They laughed for a good ten minutes before Lock finally regained the composure to speak.

"You really are Bram! Wow! So this is what happened to you!"

Shock grimaced. "What have you done?"

Bram rolled his eyes. "You three have a lot of nerve tricking me! You could have gotten me killed ten times over. You three better start talking about where my parents are and what Oogie Boogie is up to."

The three exchanged glances, as if reading each others thoughts. After a few minutes, they stood up.

"Never!" they shouted.

He glared at them. "Carysa!"

Carysa stepped up to them menacingly. "We tried it the nice way, now we do it the Carysa way." She slowly cracked her knuckles on each hand. Surprisingly, only Barrel seemed intimidated.

"You don't scare us!" Lock shouted.

((Cut))

The three stared at the walls, hands tied to each other and their feet bound.

"Why would you say that?" Shock asked.

"I don't know!" Lock snapped. "Apparently girls from Cupid Baby Land are female ninja warriors!"

The redhead turned in their direction, glaring. A punch to the palm of her hand silenced the trio and she turned back to the huddled group.

"Yeah, they aren't talking. It's been about an hour and I got nothing."

Bram sighed, frustrated. "At this rate, Oogie Boogie will all have us skewered on a stick over an open fire with our intestines in his soup before we can even come up with a plan."

"Stitch-Face, cut it out! Holly's about to toss her cookies!" Holly did look a bit green and Bram's feelings over the situation were becoming more confused and conflicted.

"Sorry, guys. I'm kind of at a loss of what to do. I don't always have the best plans."

Carysa groaned. "Well, _that's_ helpful!"

Bram clenched his fist, but made no move to choose that battle. "Those little imps were setting up something. If I can figure out what Oogie's up to exactly, I can stop it before it happens. Carysa, Arthur. I need you two to guard Boogie's Boys."

Arthur saluted and marched over to the captives. Carysa gave a shrug and walked over. Holly awaited her orders.

"Holly, you stay here in the catacombs."

Her face dropped. "What?! But, I want to help! I _can_ help!"

Bram took her shoulders. "I know you can! That's why I - that's why you're so great! But I can't risk you getting hurt. It's dangerous up there."

"Yes it is! But - "

"Holly, please!"

"Bram!"

Bram groaned. "I'm not arguing about this! You stay here!" He marched toward the steps that led out. He slid up the first few, but was gaining stride until he disappeared. Holly never took her eyes off him, silently staring him down as if to say ' _What is your problem?_ '.

Carysa stood next her, staring hopefully at the place where he disappeared. "Yep. We're all going to die."

"Finally!" Lock shouted. "Someone is actually being real!"

An apple was shoved into his mouth before he could utter another word. Arthur tipped his hat off to the three kids and hopped away.


	18. Oh, crap

Chapter 18:

Bram continued his climb, glancing around for the grimy ladder that led out of the catacombs. He finally discovered it, slimier under his human fingers. He cringed and hoisted himself up. The slick rungs made him slip more than once but he pressed on, fixated on a light above him. The light grew brighter and closer as he climbed up, until his hands met a rocky wall. The wooden bucket hit his head, but he ignored it. The hour was late and the sun was setting, but at this time there were workers laboring long into the night.

 _This could be a problem,_ he thought.

He pushed himself out of the well, diving behind the wall. He flew behind the Hanging Tree, hanging from one of his branches like a hangman. Good thing the well was only a few meters from Skellington Manor. He flew behind another wall when the Mayor's Town Wagon began blaring its alarm. Every citizen decided to stop production and move towards the wagon. Bram slid from behind the wall and slipped through the gate, breathing heavily. Oh, why did he need to breathe?!

He looked over his shoulder to be sure he was not being followed and rushed up the stairs. In less than a second, he thrust open the door and slid inside. The house looked empty and not a sound was heard.

 _Not good_ , Bram thought. The house was never really quiet. The least he would hear would be his mother's sewing machine whirring from upstairs. He crept upstairs to the tower. The sewing machine sat forgotten in the corner. He opened his parent's bedroom. The bed was a mess and a cup of spilled tea had begun to stain the floor. He scooped the cup off the floor and brought it to his nose.

"Frog's Breath!" he hissed, smashing the cup on the floor. "When I get my hands on that cross-stitched, bug-filled freak - !"

He charged out of his room and caught notice of his own room. The door was open ajar, faint light escaping it. He lightly pushed the door open. A candle sat on his desk. He snatched it and brought it about the room. The bed was a mess and filled with maggots. The floor was covered in ink stains, or at least he hoped it was ink. Instead of paper, playing cards and poker chips littered the floor. A curtain that was never there before had replaced Bram's overflowing bookcase.

Bram made his way to the curtain, peeling it back cautiously before it ripped and fell in a heap to the floor. The bookcase was gone. It was more organized than his bookcase. Drawings and diagrams. Why would Oogie Boogie make this with his sack full of worms? The drawings themselves looked as if they were drawn by a child with their fingers. Bram could still make out the scenario clearly.

Oogie kidnapping his parents, dragging them away to his lair. Winning the hearts of the people. Bugs pouring from the fountain and drain as he distracts them in the dark. Bram furrowed his eyebrows at the next part. Were the bugs...crawling into their ears? His face widened in horror as the citizens seemed to be following Oogie's every whim, destroying everything in sight. The Holiday Doors, them wreaking havoc across the other Holidays and finally finishing with Christmas. Bram almost threw up again at the sight of a half-eaten Sandy Claws and a chained Holly. Bram did not even think to find out what would happen to him. He grabbed what he could and was prepared to make a run for it but -

" _Bram!_ "

He whirled around to the threshold. " _HOLLY!_ " He marched up to her, whispering loudly. "What are you doing here?! I told you to stay in the catacombs!"

"I'm helping you, Bram! You have to let me! Don't underestimate me!"

"I don't, Holly! I just - I - I need you safe, now more than ever!"

"WHY?! Why are you so concerned for my safety?!"

The door suddenly slammed shut behind them. Oogie chuckled to himself.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise! Have a nice trip down the rabbit hole, Skellington?"

Bram sneered.

"Well, congratulations! You _almost_ stopped me." He clapped sarcastically. "Surely we could have all lived happily ever after if it weren't for your petty bickering! But, you forget." He yanked Holly by the arm and pulled her towards him. "I'm the boogeyman! I'm always one step ahead of everything!"

"Take your hands off her..." he growled slowly.

Oogie sighed, releasing some bugs from his seams. They crawled up Bram's legs.

"How many times do I have to kill you?"

His arm suddenly fell to the floor, the thread hanging in Holly's hand. She grabbed Bram's wrist and dashed down the stairs. They heard the footsteps of Oogie Boogie pursuing them and were barely missed when they finally fell through the front door. The two toppled down the stone steps, crashing through the gate. Bram groaned in pain, his arm blackening with bruises. A deep cut marred his forehead.

"B-Bram!"

He looked up the best he could, but blood was dripping into his eyes. The blurry outlines of the Halloween citizens were standing around them, crying out in fright at the sight of, not him, Holly. He forced himself to his knees and held Holly to him. The crowd murmured, almost shouting. They all yelled to Oogie, begging and pleading.

"Bram, what's happening? Who are they?! What's going on?!"

Holly pulled Bram to his feet, the citizens jumping back in fright. Bram held his forehead, trying to stop the bleeding. Holly pulled a small towel from her pocket and held it to the wound.

"Remain calm, everyone!" Oogie said. "We just appear to have guests with us." He glanced slyly at the two.

"Don't listen to him!" Holly screamed. "He's playing a trick on the lot of you!"

The crowd stared at the pair in confusion. Oogie merely laughed. "Yes, very _special_ guests. With very _special_ needs."

"Unpleasantly special?" the Mummy teen asked.

Oogie folded his hands over his mouth and nodded. " _Deeply._ "

The crowd cheered, Oogie smirking back at them. Bram snarled. Oogie shot him his own sort of menacing glower before turning back to the crowd.

"Mayor!"

The Mayor pushed through the crowd in a matter of seconds. Oogie did his best to smile.

"Please, provide us a room for our honored guests. Make sure they have _front-row seats_ at our Halloween performance." Mayor nodded and pulled both of the teens along to the Town Wagon. The doors shut behind them and the Wagon lurched as it moved forward, the Mayor announcing their arrival. Bram collapsed, holding the wound on his head. Holly knelt beside him.

"Bram, are you okay?"

"No!" he snapped. She flinched a bit. "This is my mistake, Holly. Let me fix it."

"I was trying to help - !"

"I don't _want_ your help! Stay out of this!"

He kept his face down, wishing that she'd leave him alone. He heard her heavy, rage-filled breathing.

"Bram, look at me."

He kept his head down.

"I said, _look at me!_ "

He lifted his head, catching Holly's piercing blue eyes, now icy with rage. "I know you don't want my help. I know you want me safe. But, I also know that you can't do this by yourself. Do you think your father was able to fix the mess he made himself? No! He had your mother, and my father, and that ghost-dog Zero. Everyone makes mistakes. But not everyone can fix them on their own."

"Yeah, everyone does make mistakes," he agreed. "I made the mistake of wanting something else. I made the mistake of being adventurous. And I made the mistake of finding Christmas Town."

She stumbled as if she had struck her. Her hands were at her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears. Bram's face softened in confusion, then guilt. What had he said? She must have - !

"No, Holly. I didn't - "

She turned from him, heartbroken. He cried out in frustration, pounding his fist into the wall. What was the matter with him?! How could he make such stupid mistakes?! How could things have come to this? How could things go back to normal?


	19. Four Characters in Search of An Exit

Chapter 19:

The room was luxurious by Halloween Town's standards. Black drapes with a red, bat-patterned wallpaper, a mirror on an old armoire, a black rug in the shape of a spider web underneath the chaise lounge. Bram took no notice to any of it. He was pounding on the door, trying to get someone's attention.

"Hello? Get me out of here! Let me out!" No answer came. He knocked again. "He's not who you think he is! Don't trust that rag doll! He's the boogeyman!"

A laugh answered him, as if he were playing some game. He punched his fist into the door. "I hope you like soup, because you'll all be key ingredients if you don't listen to me!" He tore at the drapes in rage, screaming like a madman. He finally sunk to the floor in defeat. He felt like he was going _completely_ insane.

" _Oh, dear God! **Please**_ _get me out of this!"_ he whispered to himself.

* * *

Holly cringed at the frightening sounds from Bram's room, adjacent from hers. He sounded so...inhuman. It was almost as if he were an animal in a cage. She glanced about the lavish room in despair. How could she escape and make this right? She trudged to the blood-red chaise lounge and sat down, head in her hands. She glanced over at the lamp table. A tray of what she thought was supposed to be food sat beside the old lamp. She rolled her eyes.

 _These people have to be utter_ idiots _if they think I'm going to enjoy hot hors d'oeuvres in a prison cell!_

Besides, they looked disgusting! She picked up a pastry to examine it.

"What even is this?" She yelped as the pastry suddenly began to wriggle, and she dropped it as it scattered away. She rushed to the door, knocking.

"Excuse me. Excuse me!" No answer. "Hello?!" She banged on the door until someone, a tiny witch, answered it.

"Yes, hi! I have few questions."

The witch smiled. "Go ahead, dearie."

"Okay, first: could I please have some real food? I prefer my food to be nonliving. Also, please let me and my friend out. We are in a very big hurry!"

The witch cackled.

"Is that a no?" Holly asked. The witch didn't answer. She just continued to cackle. Holly slammed the door in her face and collapsed on the couch, staring at the dusty chandelier. How was she supposed to escape? No windows, a poorly guarded door, and a heavily guarded house. Or, at least she thought so. Was it really that guarded at all?

She sighed against the eerie silence.

 _At least Bram may have calmed down a bit,_ she thought.

* * *

Bram couldn't stop pacing, or thinking, or panicking. His parents were missing, his body was stolen, the entire Holiday system could topple within a matter of days, and Holly was here. Why did he put her through all this.

"What is wrong with me? I just have to tell her, don't I? Just flat out tell her why she can't help me." He groaned. "Where do I even start? Holly, I think I need to come clean. No. Holly, what I said in the town wagon, I didn't really mean it! Well, I did but - Oh, God no! Holly, I do want your help. I do want your insight. I just want you safe. I know it's not fair of me to stop you, but I...you can't be with me. I'm worried you'll get hurt because of me. And, I want you to stay out of this because - because I - "

He stopped, biting his lip.

"I'm a crazed, Halloween lunatic."

He fell against the wall, sliding to the floor.

" _I sense there's something in the wind_  
 _That feels like tragedy's at hand_  
 _And though I'd like to stand by her_  
 _Can't shake this feeling that I have_  
 _The worst is just around the turn_

 _And does she notice my feelings for her?_  
 _And will he see how much he means to me?_  
 _I think it's not to be."_

He moved to the window he'd destroyed in his desperate rage. It surprised him how strong he actually was, even in his human skin. Night had long fallen, even the Vampire Brothers had retired to their home. Now, at possibly three or four in the morning, only the stray cats rummaging through the trash could be heard. Less than two days until Halloween now.

 _"What will become of my dear friends_  
 _Where will my actions lead them then?_  
 _Although I'd like to join the crowd_  
 _In their enthusiastic cloud_  
 _Try as I may, it doesn't last_  
 _And will we ever end up together?"_

He sat at the foot of the couch.

" _And will we ever end up together?_  
 _No, I think not, it's never to become_  
 _For I am not the one."_

What idiot was he trying to fool? How could anything go right again? This was all his fault, and now he was paying the price.

 _THUMP!_

A bang came at his door _._ He leapt to his feet as another loud bang rattled the old door. He didn't exactly know what was happening, nor did he have any time to think when the door finally gave.

"Carysa?"

The young woman blew her long hair out of her face, grabbing his wrist.

"Yeah, thank me later! We gotta get to the cemetery!" She yanked him out the door, nearly tripping at her speed. He was barely able to notice their escape out the door and into the dark night.

"What about Holly?!"

"She's fine. She ran ahead of us."

"Wait!" They stopped at the cemetery gate. "What exactly happened here?"

Carysa laughed. "Okay, you're going to love this. Turns out that these guys go nuts for dark chocolate without nuts. One whiff of an entire bar knocks them out cold."

Bram rolled his eyes. "Not important. And, wait a second, did you leave Lock, Shock and Barrel in the catacomb **_unguarded?!_** "

Carysa scoffed. "Of course not! The little man thing is covering for me."

Meanwhile

"And there we were on our third honeymoon."

This was the worst torture! And, they were about to crack. How could anyone indulge in this.

"And there's our weddin'. Would ye like to see pictures of our children?"

Barrel suddenly screamed. "Please stop! Please! Mercy!"

The little man whacked each other on the head with his cane.

"Ye're gonna listen, er me Fiona with see to it that ye're all hung out to dry." He turned to his left, spotting an old tree root. "Fiona?"

Shock rolled her eyes. "Oh, for God's sakes. I can see why she left."

Present

Carysa grabbed a hold of his wrist again and pulled him with her to the cemetery, Holly waiting for them.

"Bram! Carysa!"

Carysa immediately released Bram and flung herself into Holly's arms. Bram could almost hear sharp, short gasps. Was Carysa...crying? Holly gently pushed her off, assuring her that she was fine. Bram glanced over the horizon, not bearing to look at Holly after what he'd said to her. The orange moon was high overhead, hazing down its soft, yellow glow on the tombstones. It almost looked beautiful, in a sense.

"Bram?" He ignored the first call, pretending not to hear.

"Rags!" Carysa shouted. "Now's really not the time for sightseeing."

"I know that," he answered simply.

"Bram, what's wrong?" Holly asked. He shook his head, not responding. "Well, I say the best thing to do now is to find your parents."

His parents! Oh, God! He raced down the black path, the two girls in pursuit.

"Where are we going?" Carysa called after him.

"To Oogie Boogie's lair!"


	20. Into the Lair

**I'd like to address something one of my commenters said in the comments. Thank you for your observation, but Holly is not perfect. Her "ordeal" with Carysa shook her up so much that she didn't want to think for herself anymore. She put everyone else above her. She doesn't know or care how unhealthy that can be for her and that's why Carysa wants her out of the situation.**

 **Anyway, here's Chapter 20, and sorry for the wait with finals and everything. :)**

* * *

Chapter 20:

Bram's chest burn from the force of his breathing. The tree was just ahead as the first rays of dawn were peeking over the horizon. The footsteps of Holly and Carysa were right behind them. A lightbulb flickered on in his head and he slid to a stop.

"Rags, why'd you stop?"

"Bram?"

Bram sighed. "Holly, I've been thinking; maybe you should sit this one out."

"What?" Her voice was so meek it sounded like the begging of a puppy. But Bram couldn't back down this time.

"This is dangerous, Holly. Last time we went into some risky territory, we could have gotten killed! I can't risk that of you."

Holly looked crushed, angry, ready to cry. She turned to Carysa, who only shook her head.

"I'm with Bone-Brain on this one, Holly Bell. Just take a little break and we'll meet you back at the hill soon."

Holly was silent. Bram took the opportunity to drag Carysa out of the situation and towards the cage.

"I've never seen her so upset," Bram breathed.

Carysa scoffed. "I have."

"Really?" Bram stepped into the cage, Carysa squirming in with him. "She's always seemed so feisty and independent."

The cage lurched, slowly lifting them into the treehouse. Carysa shook her head. "Feisty, definitely. Independent? That's quite a misfire. She's obsessed with helping people. So much so that she'll disregard her own safety."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since our little..."incident" a few years ago. It's why I told her to stay out of this. It's why I wanted her to stay away from you."

The cage jerked as it halted in the dim treehouse. Carysa lit a nearby lantern from the table and searched for the entrance. She gagged.

"It smells like egg salad and roadkill!"

"That's the stench of rotting corpses."

"WHAT?!"

Bram finally located the hideous mouth of a hole. Carysa stood to join him, trembling. Bram searched for anything else he could use and decided with a noose from the closet of torture devices. He untied the knot and retied it around his wrist.

"I'll go down there myself. Once I have my mom and dad out of danger, I'll pull the rope twice and you pull us up. Got that?"

Carysa nodded. Bram turned back to the pipe, took a deep breath, and dived in.

* * *

The slide down the pipe wasn't as painful as it was the first time. He dove down until he fell through the hole...and stopped in mid-air. He frowned as the rope inched further to the floor. The lair was dark, save for the glow of the gunk in Oogie's cauldron. The torture must've been on hold. He finally touched the center of the roulette table. Everything was quiet.

"Mom? Dad?" Bram called out into the darkness. He jumped from the table and walked cautiously to the cauldron. The ooze bubbled red and orange. He tried not to fear the worst. A tap on his foot startled him from his thoughts. He gazed down and was relieved to see the severed hand of his mother.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" he asked. The hand motioned for him to follow as it scattered away. He pursued the hand until his foot hit something crunchy. The hand jumped up and pulled a switch, brightening the room, but he could still see the scene quite clearly. Bram gasped at the sight. Sally, unconscious and unresponsive, lay in her own leaves with her limbs torn apart.

Bram dove next his mother's torso and held her head up, calling to her. She shook her head, mumbling for a few more minutes. Bram finally shook her awake, forcing her to look at him. She squinted at him.

"Huh?"

"Mom, it's me!"

Sally groaned. "Just another dream."

Bram jerked her head back towards him as she was slipping back into sleep.

"No, Mom! It's me! Bram. I'm really here."

She willed herself to sit up, her left hand hanging by a few threads. She shook her head. "No. That's not possible."

"Mom, you have to believe me. Oogie Boogie is up in town with my body. He stole it from me. And now I have friends, and the town, and the entire Holiday universe at risk. I need you to help me find Dad."

She stared at him blankly. Bram groaned and dove to sew his mother back together. As soon as her right arm was completely patched up, he handed the needle to her.

"Sew yourself back up. I'll go find Dad.

He didn't give Sally time to answer. He dashed deeper into the chamber, searching for any sign of his father. He called out for him, but it was silent. A bit too silent for Bram's liking. He leaned against an iron maiden to collect his thoughts when it suddenly jerked. Bram knocked on the maiden.

"Hello? Jack?"

"Oh, thank goodness! Get me out of here."

Bram discovered the lock on the side of the case. He pulled a sewing needle from his pocket and drove it into the lock, carefully picking at it until...

 _CLICK_

The lock collapsed in his hand. With all his strength, Bram thrust the door to the maiden open, the tall, bony king stumbling out. Bram hit the ground as well, receiving a mouthful of dust. Bram coughed violent until he rose to his knees.

"Are you alright?"

Bram gazed up at Jack towering over him. He wanted to say "I'm sorry" or "I didn't mean to do this to you" or "yes, I'm fine" or anything. But all that came out was:  
"Wha..."

"How did you get down here, sir?" Jack asked.

Bram rose to his feet, at a loss of what to say.

"What Bram means to say is 'I'm here to get you out of here'."

Bram whirled around to find Holly with Sally, who was now all patched up. Bram growled.

"Holly! I told you to wait outside!"

"I told you I wanted to help!"

Bram took her shoulders. "Holly, _listen_ to me! Listen to Carysa! Listen to _anyone!_ Go back to higher ground and stay there!"

"No!" She squirmed against his grip, twisting away from him and stumbling onto a large panel. The floor suddenly jerked and the entire roulette table spun to life. A slot in the wall opened up, a large circular boulder rolling onto the table. Bram ran frantically, trying to keeping the rope around his wrist. He glanced over at his parents; they were trying to climb the rope out of the lair. Bram quickly unraveled the rope and tossed to Jack and Sally.

"Go! Get out of here! We'll catch up!"

Jack took the rope and crawled his way up, Sally inching close behind him. Bram looked desperately for Holly. The large ball was slowing down, and so was the roulette table. He finally called out for her and found her lying on the table with her boot caught in a roulette slot. He sprinted over, took her arms and pulled. He strained so hard his knuckles hurt and he was running out of time. The roulette ball was slowly approaching them. Bram then yanked Holly from her boot, sending them both flying as the ball landed in the slot. Bram dove for the rope, tucked it twice, and the two flew up the chute.


	21. Break

Chapter 21:

Bram flung himself from the rope of the cage elevator, Holly and Carysa stepping out. Bram clenched his fleshy fists, his face turning a shade of red.

"So _frustrating!_ "

Holly turned to Carysa. "What did you do now?"

"No, Holly! _You! You_ are frustrating!"

"Me? I was trying to help - "

"I KNOW! Holly, you've got to think before you go saving someone. And Carysa, why did you let her down there?"

"I tried to stop her, but she overpowered me!" She hurriedly wiped the red paint-substance from her cheek. Lipstick? Oh, _that_ explained a lot.

"Holly, when was the last time you thought before you saved someone?"

Holly crossed her arms. "When I gave you your hand back!"

Carysa leaned on Holly's shoulder. "You aren't helping your case here."

" _Stay out of this!"_ Holly hissed. "Bram, I can't bear to see anyone put themselves in danger!"

"So you'd rather go through it yourself?! Holly," He grabbed her shoulders. "There are lots of people who care about you. _I_ care about you! No one really cares about me, and - you know what - I don't give a stale candy corn. But, please. Be the girl I know you are, and think for yourself."

Holly glanced at Carysa, then Bram, then at the floor. Her hair fell over her face.

"The last time I did that...a friend of mine got hurt because of me."

Bram slowly released Holly, stepping back in disappointment. He shook his head. He couldn't look at her. Who was he fooling? What kind of idiot was he? If she was devoted to being a guardian angel to everyone...

"So, when you patched me up...when we first met...That didn't mean anything to you?"

Holly shot her head back up.

"You didn't think anything of it. I was just another victim you wanted to nurse. That day I really thought...Willing to do charity for others? Is that your way of saying that I could have been anyone?" He bit down on his lip, clamping his eyes shut. He held until he sighed painfully. "I wanted to believe you actually cared about me, that you wanted to help me. Turns out it was only out of obligation." He lifted his head to meet her eyes.

"If that's the way it is, then maybe you should go back to Christmas Town."

Holly gasped deeply, but Bram was done. He turned, not even noticing that Jack and Sally had witnessed the entire scene, and marched back to the cemetery.

* * *

Holly watched in shock as Bram ran up the hill and disappeared. She fell to her knees and sobbed, shaking her head. Carysa knelt beside her, holding her shoulders.

"Come on, Holly-Bell. Let's go back to CT. Who needs Raggedy Bram anyway? You've got me, and your family, and Christmas, and me."

"You agree with him?"

The question caught Carysa off guard, and she was prepared to tell Holly what she wanted to hear, but she couldn't lie to her. She nodded.

"Holly..."

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY FOR WHAT I DID!"

Carysa clamped her hand over Holly's mouth to get her to calm down. As soon as she started struggling, Carysa felt something soft on her hands. She yelped at the ragdoll with blue skin and red yarn hair. She held up her hand to reassure her and put her hand on Holly's cheek.

"You remember me, right? Mrs. Skellington." Holly nodded. "Okay, pumpkin. Take deep breaths. It's alright."

"Mrs. S?" Carysa called. "I don't know what happened down there, but that arrogant Eros up there says he was your son."

She knitted her sewn eyebrows, confused. Holly nodded in agreement. Mrs. Skellington took a step back, turning back to her husband. Carysa cautiously removed Holly's hand, letting Holly free of her grip.

"It's true," Holly replied. "That was Bram. He's been living with my family for the past two months. I can tell you what happened, but you won't like it."


End file.
